By Funmi Falae
The Deputy National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Oyetunde, has stressed the need for continuous capacity building, collaboration and professionalism among journalists to safeguard the future of the profession. She made the call while declaring open the 2026 South-West NUJ/NAWOJ Leadership Retreat held at Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking on the theme, “Collaboration, Capacity and Sustainability for the Future of Journalism,” Dr. Oyetunde described the retreat as timely, noting that journalism is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technological advancement, artificial intelligence, misinformation, economic pressures and changing audience expectations. She urged journalists to uphold the ethics of the profession by maintaining accuracy, fairness and objectivity while resisting the spread of fake news and misinformation.
Also speaking, the South-West Vice President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Adeola Adekunle, said capacity building for women journalists should extend beyond digital storytelling and investigative reporting to include digital security, trauma management, legal awareness and strategies for addressing online harassment. The Chairman of the NUJ, Oyo State Council, Mr. Akeem Abas, described the retreat as a platform that had strengthened unity among journalists in the South-West and called for it to be held regularly.
At the end of the three-day retreat, participants issued a communiqué reaffirming that unity between the NUJ and NAWOJ remains non-negotiable and emphasised the need to uphold the constitutional hierarchy of the union. The communiqué also announced the zone’s readiness to host the NUJ National Media Summit in the South-West and commended the national leadership of the NUJ under Comrade Yahya Alhassan for initiatives aimed at improving journalism practice in Nigeria.
The retreat further urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to begin negotiations for a review of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, noting that rising inflation has significantly reduced its value. Participants also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for the ongoing construction of major road projects across the South-West and called on contractors to accelerate work to ensure timely completion.
The communiqué applauded the peaceful conduct of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election and urged all stakeholders to sustain the same level of commitment to peaceful and credible elections during the forthcoming Osun State Governorship Election. It also commended the leadership of Dr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Oyetunde and Princess Aderonke Afebioye-Samo for promoting stability and unity within the South-West zone.
The retreat, held from 16th to 18th July 2026, brought together national officers, zonal leaders, state chairmen, chairpersons, secretaries and members of the State Working Committees of NUJ and NAWOJ from the six South-West states. Hosted by the Oyo State Council of the NUJ and co-hosted by the Ogun State Council, the participants also appreciated the host council and other state councils for the successful organisation of the retreat.
