Communications expert have advocated the thorough combination of skill, knowledge and ethics as necessary rudiments of successful journalism that would ensure good and desirable information to the society.

Alhaji Yushau Shuaib, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Image Merchants Promotions (IMP) Limited, disclosed this at the weekend during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Cohort of PRNigeria Young Professionals Fellowship, in Ilorin.

Shuaib, who was represented by Muhammad Lawal, Head of Investigations and Special Projects, PRNigeria said that the essence of the program was to train young graduates across Nigeria on aspects of media and communication.

According to him, PRNigeria hopes to groom the next generation of ethical communicators.

He said: “the field of journalism and public relations is filled with people who do not have the necessary knowledge, qualifications, or even ethical conduct to be able to practice, but yet they are practising.

“So we want to see how we can bring a pool of people who not only practice from the point of view of knowledge, they should also practice from the point of view of skills, understanding and ethical conduct,” he disclosed.

Gabriel Ogunade, the state chairman of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)‎, said that the programme attracts increasing support and recognition nationally.
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Ogunade, represented by Mr. Sani Suleiman, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Customs Service Kwara State Command, noted that the output of the fellowship aligns with NIPR vision, for rapid reform and growth of the PR ecosystem in Kwara.
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‎He said that creativity and uncommon perception remain key to driving innovation and sustaining development.
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“‎In an age of Artificial Intelligence, we must be deliberate and lead this era with superior natural instincts to ensure balance and the sustainability of humanity.

“AI is a complement, not competition, but it takes smartness and strategy to domesticate its wild tendencies to our advantage,” Ogunade said.
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‎Also speaking, Alhaji Abdulfatai Beki, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), called on the federal government to enact a law for media house owners to pay salaries and manage the welfare of workers adequately.

“There should be a law enacted for those that establish media houses to ensure payment of salaries and adequate staff welfare, just as government handle universities.

“Whether the university belongs to the state, private or federal, they are taking care of them through the National Universities Commission (NUC), so, the same thing should be done for the media.

“If the law is enacted, young journalists would not be running after money bags, and they would be factual with their reports without bias,” he said.

Hajiya Saadat Bibire, a graduate of mass communications, and one of the graduands said she attended the fellowship to learn.

“I did not realize how much I will take away from this experience because we have learnt about PR, branding, public speaking, strategic communication, fact-checking, investigative journalism, solution journalism, Artificial Intelligence (AI,) and so much more.

“The biggest part has always been the people: meeting people from different backgrounds, hearing their perspectives, asking questions, sharing ideas, and even the small conversations in between sessions,” Bibire said.

She applauded PRNigeria for the opportunity, saying, “it has been ten days, but it definitely feels like we have been here much longer, and honestly, I am grateful for the experience.”