Femi Akintunde-Johnson
In the quiet energy of a classroom at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, the idea seemed harmless – a brief moment of introspection in a long day of media training. Yet, beneath the chalk-stained surface of that moment was the residue of years of exasperation, a slow-boiling dissatisfaction with the state of the media industry in Nigeria.
Standing before a class of fledgling journalists at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), I am often seized by a quiet irony. Here I am, guiding eager minds through the maze of media ethics and craft, while grappling with the same fog in my own professional field. It is a strange burden – instructing others to hold up the torch of integrity in a landscape where the flame has long flickered, if not fizzled out entirely.
Yet, behind my encouraging tone was a gnawing realisation – that our industry had become a loud market of half-truths, hurried opinions, and superficial convictions. I had spent almost four decades in print (mostly), radio, and television, searching for an ideal, a core of excellence. But the more I taught, the more I confronted the truth: we were losing grip of the soul of media practice.
By mid-2023, the embers of an old idea found new oxygen. I started touching bases with old comrades – folks who shared the same lamentations, whose frustration had not yet calcified into cynicism. We called it the Media Integrity Initiative Africa (MIIA) – a bold, some would say quixotic, campaign to arrest the rot at the roots. We issued formal invites to about 35 media professionals across the spectrum. Honestly, as earlier stated, we expected maybe 10, 12 at best to climb aboard.
We were pleasantly stunned to receive 20 positive responses – all of them enthusiastic, committed, ready to build. Here’s the esteemed roll call of MIIA Board of Facilitators: Lanre Ìdòwú – Former Reporter (Daily Times/Guardian), Assistant Editor (Democrat), Editor (Thisweek), E-in-C (Media Review), Founder (Diamond Awards for Media Excellence), etc.; Tokunbo Ojekunle – Former Director of Marketing (Eko FM), Ex-GM (Max FM), Lagos; Richard Akinnola – Veteran Judiciary Reporter/Editor (Vanguard), Lawyer, Publisher/Editor (Courtroom), Executive Director (Media Law Centre); Ohi Alegbe – Former Dep. Editor (African Concord), ex-Associate Director (Quadrant Company), ex-GGM – Public Affairs (NNPC), CEO (Quest Comms); Tony Onyima, PhD, fNGE – Former MD/E-in-C (Sun Newspapers), ex-Commissìoner for Information, Culture & Tourism, Anambra State; Adeboye Ola, PhD – Veteran Photojournalist, Deputy Provost (Nigerian Institute of Journalism); Azubuike Ishiekwene – Former Editor/ED (Punch), Founder/Director (The Interview), Snr Vice Chairman/E-in-C (Leadership); Lekan Otufodunrin – ex-Punch Political Editor, Managing Editor (Nation), Founder (Journalists for Christ), Executive Director (Media Career Development Network); Alex Ogundadegbe – ex-Entertainment Editor (Punch), Editor (The Week), Certified Trainer (HRM, Customer Service, etc); and Yakubu Lawal – ex-Energy Editor (Guardian), former SA Media (to two Power Ministers), Chairman of Society of Energy Editors, etc.
Others are as follows: Johnson Onime – ex-ED (Corporate & Public Affairs – Daar Comms), Principal Consultant (Intense Concepts & Associates Ltd.); Olumide Iyanda – Former Editor (Independent on Saturday), Founder/E-in-C (QED – Mighty Media); Fisayo Soyombo – Founder (Foundation for Investigative Journalism); Oluyinka Shokunbi – Veteran Health Reporter, President of the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria; Seun Olagunju – ex-GM (Raypower, Abuja); News Anchor (NTA); GM – Public Affairs (TCN) – now Group Head, Strategic Comms (Bank of Industry); Monday Michaels Ashibogwu, PhD – ex-CEO/E-in-C (Quick News Africa), ex-MD/CEO (The Republic Media); GMD (Billsbox Services); Deji Balogun – ex-GM (LTV), ex-Abuja Station Manager (Channels Television); Michael Effiong James – Former Society Editor (Fame Weekly), ex-Editor (Encomium), Editor/COO (Ovation Media Group); Marcel Okeke – ex-Editor (Business Concord), ex-Business Editor (Punch), former Chief Economist (Zenith Bank), Lead Consultant/CEO (Mascot Consult); and last but certainly not the least, Lanre Arogundade – Veteran Journalist, ex- NANS president, ex-Chairman (Lagos NUJ), ex-Editor (Republic), ex-Feature Editor (National Concord), Executive Director (International Press Centre).
But every big dream comes with its own chaos. We decided the training would be completely free – no registration fees, no hidden costs. During the live trainings, the real test began. We had almost 200 in multiple WhatsApp broadcast lists; and over 150 participants in a dedicated WhatsApp group, attempting to interface with the Google Meet platform. Admission to the sessions became a full-time task.
As the coordinator, I had to make sure the data bundles were topped, the generator fuelled, the backup slides ready in case a facilitator glitched. The two Saturdays were four hours long – non-stop facilitation, moderation, link-sharing, emergency tech support, and motivational nudging. In between, I would chase down facilitators for module updates, prepare pre-class teasers, and troubleshoot participants’ woes. I became MC, counsellor, timekeeper, and fire-fighter rolled into one. Still, burnout hovered like a mosquito in a dark room – unseen, persistent, maddening.
The integrity we craved to uphold in the media ecosystem demanded that we first model it internally. We pushed for accountability – even among ourselves. When there were lapses, we addressed them firmly, without rancour. Where a facilitator would have missed a slot, we improvised. When participants grumbled, we listened. It was not perfect, but it was sincere. It was not seamless, but it was significant.
As the curtain fell on the inaugural cohort, something shifted. The participants, many of whom had never met us in person, began calling MIIA their professional family. We received testimonials filled with gratitude, surprise, and newfound resolve. Suddenly, the long nights and weary Saturdays felt lighter. To cap it all, we issued a post-class digital “Certificate of Participation” to about 60 active participants – a gesture that drew widespread admiration. Many recipients were ‘whaohed’ by its professional design, prompt delivery, and the validation it represented after weeks of effort. It wasn’t just a PDF; it was proof that they had journeyed through something valuable – and finished it.
Media integrity, it turns out, is not a sprint. It is a grind – slow, stubborn, and sacrificial. You lose sleep. You lose data. You sometimes lose faith. But you gain something else – the quiet conviction that excellence is still possible, even in a world determined to water it down.
MIIA has only just begun. The second cohort looms. And with it, the old fears – of bandwidth, burnout, and bewilderment. But we will return, because what is worth doing – however burdensome – is worth repeating.
This is what happens when excellence becomes a burden. And still, you carry it.
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