Ayoade Zariat Yetunde reports,
On Friday 31st of December, 2021, the most outstanding press outfit on the soil of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Pen Press UDUS, held her last editorial meeting for the first semester 2020/2021 academic session, at A134 class, located at Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies.
The meeting was graced by an alumnus of the press board, its former Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Yahaya Nurudeen Akewushola.
Yahaya Nurudeen Akewushola is an award winning Journalist, he graduated recently from the Department of Mathematics, at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. During his undergraduate years on campus, he once served as the Editor in Cheif of Pen Press UDUS, Publicity Secretary at National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ, UDUS), Public Relation Officer 1 at National Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ, NIGERIA).
He is a freelance journalist, an intern with Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism at The Cable. He has written many opinions, news reports, fact-checks and feature stories which have got published by both online and print media in Nigeria and abroad.
He is also a contributor to the Nation Newspaper and other National Newspapers in Nigeria. Nurudeen Akewushola is a writer at International Youth Journal and a fellow at Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP).
Nurudeen Akewushola blessed the last editorial meeting of the Pen Press with journalism talks where he spoke extensively on how involving in social activities and knowing what works for someone as a student.
“Social activities will not deter you from having good grades because no student reads for 24hours a day,” he said.
On Journalism particularly, he advised students to explore journalism outside the campus and interact with other professionals in the field. He also said they should endeavour to send their works to notable media outlet in Nigeria, as this creates rooms for future opportunities awaiting them.
He said that people wanting to join journalism for certificates are doing no good for themselves, as certificate without proficiency is worthless.
Mr. Nurudeen noted that there are many opportunities in journalism, regardless of courses of study.
“Consistency is the key to achieve greatness,” he added.
He also emphasized on not letting social activities affect the purpose of being in school. He urged female campus journalists to be more active and constitent in everything they do. He sighted the example of some females who practiced campus journalism during their stays on campus, and now earning huge amounts of money in the field, without stress.
He encouraged that there are lots of opportunities waiting for female journalists outside, and all they need is to be consistent, improve in their writing prowess and write good stories.
At the end of the meeting, the alumnus, Mr Nurudeen Akewushola called out the names of the three new outstanding pen members who performed well in the screening exercise conducted in the month of November, he gifted them a sum of one thousand naira (1, 000) each for their excellence performances.