The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos, has announced that 60 of its graduating students will be awarded Distinction certificates at its upcoming 7th convocation ceremony.
Provost of the Institute, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, made this known during a press briefing on Wednesday. He stated that a total of 707 students would be graduating on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, across the National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND), and Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) programmes.
As part of the convocation events, Adefaye revealed that the convocation lecture, titled “AI and Public Governance”, will be delivered on Monday, May 5, 2025, by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adeniyi. The event will be held at the Sir Kensington Adebukunola Adebutu Media Resource Centre and will draw participants including scholars, public servants, media professionals, and industry stakeholders.
The convocation ceremony will be chaired by veteran journalist and Chairman of the NIJ Governing Council, Aremo Olusegun Osoba.
Speaking on the state of journalism education, Adefaye acknowledged a decline in admissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in the number of universities, but stressed that NIJ remains dedicated to offering high-quality communication and media training. He identified funding as a key challenge, pointing out that, as a non-federal institution, the NIJ is excluded from the national student loan scheme despite contributing through taxation.
“We encourage our students to embrace technology and artificial intelligence as essential tools for innovation and growth,” he said, adding that the Institute is considering the adoption of AI-checking software to uphold academic integrity.
