NGE President Calls for Bridging Gap Between Academia, Industry

Eze Anaba urges media training reform as the Nigerian Guild of Editors inaugurates a committee to bridge the gap between journalism education and newsroom practice

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, on Wednesday called for urgent efforts to bridge the gap between academic journalism training and professional newsroom practice in Nigeria.

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Anaba made the appeal during the inauguration of the Guild’s Training, Research and Publications Committee at the Editors’ House in Ikeja, Lagos, describing the body as a strategic platform for strengthening professional standards in the country’s media industry.

The NGE president said the committee was deliberately constituted to reflect a balanced blend of academic scholarship and industry experience, which he noted was essential for addressing the persistent disconnect between journalism education and real newsroom demands.

According to Anaba, the committee will design and implement training programmes for editors, conduct research into the evolving challenges confronting the Nigerian media landscape and publish findings that can guide professional practice.

“The membership of the committee was carefully selected to reflect this aspiration,” Anaba said, urging members to deploy their collective expertise to advance the Guild’s intellectual and professional mandate.

Responding on behalf of the committee, its chairperson, Stella Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, described the initiative as timely and significant.

“With the calibre and experience of members of this committee, I am confident that we will add considerable value to the Guild and the wider media industry,” Okunna said.

Other members of the committee include Iyobosa Uwagiaren, Treasurer of the Guild, who will serve as secretary; Tony Onyima, Fellow of the Guild and former Managing Director of The Sun Newspapers; Angela Agowuike, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Omalicha FM and a Fellow of the Guild; and Kabir Garba Alabi, Editor of The Guardian (Nigeria) Weekend edition.

The brief ceremony was also attended by the Guild’s Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh; Assistant Secretary, Gabriel Akinadewo; and Rose Moses, a member of the Guild’s Standing Committee.

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The initiative marks a deliberate step by the Nigerian Guild of Editors to deepen professional training, promote evidence-based research and strengthen the intellectual foundation of journalism practice in Nigeria.