The International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), Ado-Ekiti Campus, has unveiled activities for its 2026 Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Week, with a call on students to combine academic knowledge with creativity, unity, character and professional excellence.
The week, themed “Beyond Headlines: Knowledge, Creativity, Unity and Excellence,” was announced during a press conference held ahead of the programme. The event brought together IIJ students, lecturers, media practitioners and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council.
President of the IIJ SRC, Comrade Toba Fatunla, said the programme was designed to expose students to practical experiences beyond classroom learning. He said the students deliberately invited experienced journalists and media professionals to interact with them, stressing that the objective was to help aspiring journalists learn directly from practitioners.
Fatunla said the activities would include an educational programme, a football match involving media stakeholders, a dinner and an awards ceremony to recognise outstanding students and individuals who had contributed to journalism and the development of the media industry in Ekiti State.
He said the SRC was also committed to promoting professionalism among students, particularly at a time when social media had blurred the distinction between trained journalists and content creators. Fatunla urged students to take their training seriously and develop the character, skills and knowledge required to practise journalism responsibly.
The Coordinator of the IIJ Ado-Ekiti Campus, Pastor Dare Daniel, said the institute provides professional training for people interested in journalism, public relations and advertising. He stressed that working in a media organisation for years without the required professional training did not automatically make a person a journalist, urging practitioners to obtain appropriate certification.
Daniel encouraged the students to practise what they learn rather than focus solely on obtaining certificates, saying professional journalists serve as the voice of society and must earn public trust through accuracy, credibility and responsible reporting. He congratulated the SRC for organising what he described as a valuable Students’ Week and urged future administrations to build on the initiative.
The NUJ Ekiti State Council Chairman also commended the students for organising the programme, describing journalism as a noble profession and assuring them of the union’s support.
He urged the students to prepare themselves for the demands of professional journalism, saying the NUJ was working to protect the integrity of the profession and distinguish trained journalists from unqualified practitioners.(Roundoff News)
