A media-enabled platform, the Media Career Development Network (MCDN), has commenced a career development programme for over 150 journalists across Nigeria.
The Executive Director of the platform, Lekan Otufodunrin, disclosed this during the unveiling of the initiative in Lagos on Monday.
The programme, tagged “Media Career Fix,” is organised by the veteran journalist with support from Nigeria LNG Limited.
Speaking at the unveiling, Otufodunrin explained that participants would receive personalised recommendations, participate in relevant training sessions, and gain access to mentoring, coaching, and other capacity-building support.
He noted that a survey conducted ahead of the programme revealed that many journalists in the country lack mentorship, career direction, access to necessary information and data resources, as well as tools, training, and digital capacity.
“It is important for journalists to be intentional about achieving their career goals and aspirations instead of leaving things to chance,” Otufodunrin said.
He added that the Media Career Check-up/Media Career Fix initiative serves as a wake-up call for journalists to take charge of their career development.
Otufodunrin also maintained that beneficiaries of the programme would be provided with career strategy and clarity, a structured mentorship system, and improved access to opportunities after identifying that ethics and institutional constraints, as well as poor remuneration and financial instability, are
In her keynote address titled “Fixing You First: The Hard Truth About Building a Journalism Career in Nigeria,” the Editor of Gist Nigeria and career mentor at BBC, Omotola Adebanjo, emphasised the importance of personal responsibility in career development.
“Until individual journalists address their own gaps, no newsroom, mentor, or opportunity will be sufficient,” she said.
“You don’t grow because of the newsroom; you grow because you decide to, then the newsroom will catch up with you.”
Adebanjo recommended “personal fixing” in areas such as skills ownership, visibility, adaptability, and financial responsibility.
She, however, noted that media organisations also have a role to play in supporting journalists’ professional growth.
The career mentor urged organisations to stop treating journalists as replaceable labour, invest in training rather than focusing solely on output, and build structured mentorship pipelines.
Special guests at the programme included Board of Trustees member of MCDN, Alhaja Shekinat Lawal; Founder of The Journalism Clinic and Executive Director of Media Mentors Leadership Academy, Ms. Joke Kujenya; Executive Director of Illuminate Nigeria Development Network, Ms. Anikeade Funke Treasure; Founder of Debisibusybee Media, Mrs. Adebisi Adetunji; and Executive Director of Media Mentors Network, Adekunle Sulaimon.
Adekunle, a fellow of Data and Solutions Journalism, has over four years of experience with competencies in data journalism and investigations.
