Again, members of the fourth estate of the realm, journalists have been identified as critical stakeholders in the ongoing fight financial crimes in Nigeria. This was revealed when Citi recently hosted the third edition of the Citi Financial Journalist Training (CFJT).
According to Mrs Salamatu Jubril-Adeniji of the Banking Supervision Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), “This training is indeed very appropriate as the Government cannot by themselves combat the menace of financial crime without the support of journalists, who are critical stakeholders in the dissemination of information on the effects of these crimes on our society, economic growth and development. The training enhanced the capacity of the journalist on issues related to financial crimes”. Jubril-Adeniji facilitated a session on Financial Crimes Reporting.
During her presentation entitled Journalism: Partners in Progress – an MSME perspective, Ms. Bunmi Lawson the MD/CEO of Accion Microfinance Bank Nigeria Limited stated that the purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments. She also emphasised the importance of journalism as a force for good for the industry’s effectiveness and progress of MSME.
Citi in collaboration with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) organised the training for 17 national business and financial journalists. CFJT aligns with Citi’s commitment to building capacity and taking advantage of its global resources to strengthen the knowledge base in the financial industry across the globe.
The first CFJT session held in Nigeria in 2013. In 2015 similar financial capacity building sessions were held in Cameroon and DRC, and valued for providing training and a multiparty dialogue on financial concepts.
Topics covered during the 3-Day training included Business Journalism in a Digital Age, Financial Skills for the Media, Ethics for the Media Practitioner, and The Media: Partners in Progress. Facilitators included Mr Tomi Vincent, Dr Isah Momoh, representatives of the School of Media and Communication (PAU) Ms Bukola Oyinloye MD, The Zone (a subsidiary of Workforce Management Centre) Dr Akintola Owolabi Lagos Business School (PAU). Mrs. Hansatu Adegbite ED, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Mr Akin Dawodu CEO Citi Nigeria, Mrs. Funmi Ogunlesi ED Citibank Nigeria and Director with the Public Sector Group, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa); Mr Chinedu Ikwudinma ED Risk Management Citibank Nigeria and Mr Bayo Adeyemo Country Treasurer and Markets Head, Citibank Nigeria.
During his closing remarks, Mr Chido Nwakanma an Adjunct Faculty and Representative of the School of Media said “We appreciate Citibank for its commitment to improving the quality of reportage and commentary in financial journalism, given that the output of that genre of journalism impacts the pocket books of everyone from governments to organisations and individuals.”
Mr Akin Dawodu CEO Citi Nigeria thanked the School of Media and Communication, Pan – Atlantic University for collaborating with Citi in ensuring that the 3-day training was as informative as it was engaging. According to Dawodu “The investing public relies on you (journalists) to provide accurate, time sensitive information which allows them to make informed decisions. Performing this role will bring accountability and help strengthen the financial system”
