By Muhammad Sani

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Voice of Nigeria (VON) Chapel, has emphasised the importance of regular exercise in promoting journalists’ health, safety and ethical reporting.

‎The Chairman of the Chapel, Mrs Feyi Oyebanji, stated this during  a fitness walk organised as part of activities marking the 2026 NUJ VON Chapel Press Week in Abuja.

‎Participants began the exercise from the Radio House and proceeded to the Old Parade Ground through designated routes.

‎The walk was followed by aerobic sessions aimed at promoting physical fitness and healthy living among journalists.

‎Oyebanji said the exercise was aimed at creating awareness about the Press Week and promoting physical fitness among journalists, whose professional responsibilities often required them to move around in search of news.

‎She said journalists must prioritise their health while discharging their professional duties.

‎“The work of the journalist is the work of fact-finding, reporting and roaming around to get news, and you have to be in shape to be able to do this.

‎“Part of what we sought to do is to cater to the needs of our people by taking care of their body, soul and spirit, and the first place to start is from fitness,” she said.

‎The Press Week has “Truth in the Age of AI: Journalism, Democracy and 2027 General Election” as its theme.

‎Oyebanji said the theme was informed by the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential misuse, particularly as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

‎She urged journalists to understand the evolving technological environment and ensure that AI was used responsibly to promote credible journalism.

‎According to her, journalists must take charge of the technology and prevent its use in spreading misinformation and other harmful content.

‎She said the road walk was also designed to create public awareness about the Press Week and encourage interaction between journalists and members of the public.

‎Oyebanji urged journalists to uphold professional ethics, promote national unity and prioritise their security while reporting.

‎“As a journalist, you have to take care of your health. Don’t do the job at the detriment of your health.

‎“Remember the ethics of the job; it is your duty to also keep the nation and the unity of the nation. Be fair in your reportage, and it starts with you.

‎“Everything you do, remember the importance of security. Break the news, don’t be the news,” she said.

‎She identified insecurity as one of the major challenges confronting journalists globally, saying it often restricted their ability to access locations and report events.

‎She called on the government to provide an enabling environment for journalists to discharge their professional responsibilities safely.

‎The chairman also said the chapel had continued to address members’ welfare concerns and create opportunities for professional training and development.

In his speech, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Babu Ndace, represented by the Head of Digital Media, Dr Qasim Akinreti, said AI requires appropriate guidelines and safeguards to prevent misuse and protect individuals’ rights.

‎He said AI was a collection of machine tools whose effectiveness depended on how they were deployed.

‎“However, it needs to be properly guided. We need to be safeguarded with appropriate laws so that people do not use it to access private information about other persons.

‎“What does not belong to you, at the end of the day, don’t claim credit for it. If you use AI for any specific purpose, acknowledge that it is AI material or source AI, and you must do it with a lot of discretion,” he said.

‎The DG said VON had an AI desk supported by a verification desk to ensure that information published by the organisation was accurate and properly verified.

‎He urged journalists to cross-check information generated by AI with original sources before publication.

‎He also advised journalists covering elections to uphold fairness, balance, objectivity and responsibility, while avoiding reports capable of generating unnecessary tension.

‎“Facts are sacred, comments are free. Those are the major dicta of journalism, of truth: balance, objectivity and economy of space.

‎“In reporting elections, have these things at the back of your mind. Give the opportunity to practically everyone. Don’t be biased. Let people have a choice. Do not influence that choice,” he said.

‎He further urged young journalists to understand the basic principles of journalism, remain objective and prioritise their safety.

‎In his remarks, the Vice-Chairman of NUJ FCT Council, Mr Yahaya Ndambabu, said the road walk was part of activities marking the Press Week and an opportunity to promote the importance of a free press.

‎Ndambabu said journalists had a critical responsibility in ensuring free, fair and credible elections, stressing that the environment must be conducive for them to perform their duties.

‎He said the council had continued to organise capacity-building programmes for journalists, particularly on security-related issues, to strengthen collaboration between journalists and security agencies.

‎“We must advocate that journalists must be given an enabling environment to report truth and nothing but the truth,” he said.

‎Ndambabu identified inadequate training and poor welfare as major challenges facing journalists, particularly those entering the profession.

‎He said media organisations should invest in capacity building to ensure that journalists understood and complied with the ethical principles of journalism.

‎According to him, journalists should not be sent to cover events without adequate professional training.

‎He also called on media organisations to improve journalists’ welfare, warning that poor remuneration could expose journalists to unethical practices.

‎“The welfare of journalists is the number one thing to be done to ensure that journalists report nothing but the truth,” he said.

‎Ndambabu said the NUJ national leadership was proposing a Journalist Enhancement Bill to address journalists’ welfare, expressing hope that the bill would receive the necessary legislative support.

‎He urged media organisations to provide adequate remuneration and other welfare benefits for journalists to enable them to discharge their duties professionally.

‎The fitness walk, which started at Radio House and ended at the Old Parade Ground, featured aerobic sessions as part of activities to promote healthy living among journalists. ‎(NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza
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