The Abia State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Prince Okey Kanu, has commended the two-day Strategic Media Retreat, organised by ChannelKoos Media Consult, for media aides to the Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, in Abuja.
He described the retreat, which focused on strengthening government communication, information integrity, and digital resilience, as highly impactful and beyond expectations.
“Beyond our expectations! The faculty is of the highest quality. Upon reviewing the course outline and the areas it covers, it appears to be very rich and comprehensive. We expect this to reflect on our output positively,” he said.
The Commissioner noted that the retreat will not be a one-off exercise, stressing that the rapidly evolving media landscape requires continuous learning, especially with the 2027 general elections approaching.
Speaking during the programme on Thursday, Dr Monday Ashibogwu, one of the lead facilitators, gave insight into the focus of the retreat:
“We looked at how the media landscape is changing and how media aides need to upscale to meet emerging challenges while taking advantage of new opportunities.
“We examined political communication versus government communication, persuasive messaging, and how to shift the narrative to project the achievements of the Abia State government.
“We also covered detection of misinformation, fake news, and how Artificial Intelligence is impacting the media space, especially as we are in a pre-election year leading to the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Ashibogwu emphasised the importance of understanding legal boundaries and ethical standards, noting that the sessions were engaging for both participants and facilitators.
“It has been an interesting experience showing enthusiasm from participants. It was a learning curve for both parties. I hope they will see the desired impact in their jobs,” he added.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Abia State Government Spokesperson, Mr Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, emphasised the practical value of the training.
“This retreat has opened me up to so many things that are completely new in the media space. We will all go back properly equipped and more grounded to do the work we have been appointed to do,” he said.
He particularly appreciated the emphasis on distinguishing between government communication (meant for the entire populace) and political communication.
Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, described the sessions as refreshing and highly beneficial.
“A lot of things have been discussed here: communication with the public, responses to fake news, managing criticism from the opposition, and how to engage effectively.
“We have learned a lot, especially on Artificial Intelligence tools. There is no limit to knowledge acquisition,” Ekeoma stated.
He urged that the programme be expanded beyond government appointees to include other media practitioners collaborating with the state government.
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Mr Young Ozogwu, the General Manager of THE WHISTLER Newspapers, who represented Chief James Ume, Chairman/CEO of ChannelKoos Media Consult, described the retreat as the first in a series.
“This is just the first in the series. We hope that in the near future, we will also be visiting Umuahia to conduct agency-wide training for other stakeholders in the state.
“This type of training is needed by many government agencies and institutions across the country,” he said.
The retreat featured practical sessions, simulations, and hands-on exercises, equipping participants with tools such as a Government Communication Toolkit, Deepfake Detection Guide, Crisis Communication Templates, and Fact-checking Workflows.
The retreat was facilitated by seasoned professionals, including Dr John Alechenu, former Group Political Editor of The Punch; Ms Victoria Bamas, Programme Manager of Alkalanci; Mr Tajudeen Suleiman, Managing Editor of THE WHISTLER newspapers; Barr First Baba Isa, Managing Partner of FBI Legal; and Mr Micheal Ezeh, Senior Webmaster of THE WHISTLER newspapers.
(The Whistler)
