Ademola Babalola, the Oyo State Council Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), says the Council has helped the nation greatly with its just-ended 2023 Press Week.
Babalola, while speaking on Friday in Ibadan, said the Council through different stakeholders engagements and activities during the week had set agenda for economic prosperity for Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the week’s activities ended on Friday with the Awards/Pen programme to mark the grand finale.
The 2023 press week had the theme, “Nigerian Economy: Reimaging Education System for the Fifth Industrial Revolution”.
Babalola said this had attracted the attention of policy makers and stakeholders in the political and economic sector to the urgent need to revive the country’s economy.
“We have gathered to celebrate ourselves as journalists, to enlighten the public and share ideas with government on how to progressively pilot the affairs of the country.
“We have also come together as journalists to see how far we have gone in the last one year.
“But one thing that has been so special about this year’s celebration is that we have been able to set agenda for the government in the area of economic development.
“It is no more news that there is poverty in the country, as many parents are finding it difficult to give their children the best in terms of education, feeding and shelter,” he said.
The Oyo State NUJ Council Chairman urged government to adopt the use of technology to advance the country’s economy.
“China and other developed countries are doing well economically because they have high level of technology adoption.”
He added that there was also the urgent need put more efforts towards a quick actualisation of the current administration’s economic policies.
“The exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Naira is now worrisome and this calls for urgent attention.”
Also speaking, the NUJ National President, Mr Chris Isiguzo, had urged journalists to always give their safety ultimate attention while discharging their duties.
Isiguzo, who was represented at the event by the Vice-President, NUJ Zone B, Ronke Afebioye-Samo, noted that journalists always faced a lot of risks in the course of their duties.
Earlier, the President-General, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Mr Niyi Ajewole, had lauded Oyo State NUJ’s positive contributions to the development of Ibadan, Oyo state and Nigeria.
NAN reports that the event featured the presentation of awards to several individuals, including the Deputy Chairman (South), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja.(NAN)
