Victor EzejaIn line with its vision of building sustainable practice in Africa, leading multi-media newspaper, Prime Business Africa has launched its Journalism Mentorship Project (JMP) and appointed first-ever Student Editor on the continent.
Guided by the editorial management team of the newspaper, the Campus Editor, Miss Success Ezeobi, of the Mass Communication Department, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), will work closely with a seven-man Campus Editorial Board carefully screened and selected with the help of Journalism teachers and other student writers.
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Prime Business Africa, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, who was present during the screening and selection process at the Mass Communication Department of UNN on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, said the project is in line with the newspaper’s philosophy of ingraining pure ethics and passion in budding journalists. Speaking to hundreds of Journalism students who gathered to witness the rigourous process of selection at UNN, Dr Mbamalu described Journalism as “a calling to courageous and patriotic vocation in development” and urged the young trainee journalists to be more “intentional” about their calling.
Dr Mbamalu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Newstide Publications Limited, publishers of Prime Business Africa, thanked the Head of the Department of Mass Communication at UNN, Professor Joseph Wogu, Journalism teachers, Dr Chidiebere Nwachukwu, Dr Luke Anorue and Dr Michael Ukonu, for “going the extra mile in ensuring that students willing to hone their journalism skills” got a good chance to do so.
He promised to ensure that Prime Business Africa’s Journalism Mentorship Programme for budding journalists remains sustainable.
He said the programme would be subsequently extended to Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal and other neighbouring countries.
The new Campus Editorial Board is led by the Campus Editor, Miss Ezeobi, Deputy Campus Editor, Mr Emmanuel Eze, Assistant Campus Editor, Elijah Akuma.
The other five Board Members are: Blessing Azoribe, Fortune Nwokedi, Peace Agbo, Nneoma Goodness and Chisom Anarah.
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Supervised by Prime Business Africa’s Editorial Management team, the Campus Editorial Board will function to generate contents on Youth Leadership matters, Entertainment, Tech, Sports and Education-based issues.
Responding to her appointment, the new Campus Editor, Miss Ezeobi, thanked Dr Mbamalu and Prime Business for the “opportunity to start out early.”
She described the newspaper’s Journalism Mentorship Project as a game changer for African youths whose dream is to become professional journalists.
“I am grateful for this rare opportunity to be appointed Campus Editor of a high-profile newspaper like Prime Business Africa,” said an elated Miss Ezeobi.
” My heart leaps with joy, because I am very certain that this project will go a long way in reawakening the true essence of Journalism in the hearts of Nigerian youths.
“I have, before now, been saddened by the very scanty efforts to raise up budding journalists ready to do something within their capacity to ensure an improved society. But today, I can see a new dawn; I’m assured that this project will spur journalism to its apogee, not only in Nigeria but in the whole of Africa,” she concluded.
Miss Ezeobi, a certified content writer of the prestigious Standard Skills Academy, possesses bespoke skills in writing and a demonstrated passion for the English language. Her zeal for impacting lives and driving change in young minds makes work as part-time tutor instilling knowledge in her fellow students and preparing them for the future.
She is widely known within the university community for high-level creativity in handling works of Arts and in showing great interest in spurring change in the field of Journalism.
Dr Nwachukwu, in his comments described Miss Ezeobi’s appointment as “a practical expression of the much-touted collaboration between town and gown. It offers our students an invaluable access to the mentorship and hands-on training that will turn them into well-rounded journalists, able to meet the challenges of a fast-paced 21st century journalism practice,” he said.
” I am immensely grateful to Dr. Mbamalu, publisher of Prime Business Africa for making our department the first beneficiary of his Africa-wide mentorship programme for journalism students.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
@Okoro Ugochi Angel, thank you for your comments, it’s all about grooming the young ones who are passionate about the profession, for sustainability.
A very good move by Dr Mbamalu raising a present and future journalists who will be a mouth piece of the society. Thanks Dr and congratulations Miss Ezeobi & team more grace to bring a good dividend of journalism among the campus and beyond.