- By Opadeji Samuel Olumide
The Sustainable Development Club in partnership with the Press council, The Polytechnic, Ibadan organized a one-day training session with the theme *“Media And Advocates Towards Accelerating Demographic Dividend”* on the 8th August, 2019 at the Department of Local Government and development studies Resource Centre.
In his opening remarks, a Demographer and coordinator of the Sustainable Development Club, Mr. Kolawole Amusat said there is an assurance of moving towards development, sequel to the new innovation in the institution and in the nation at large, as a result of the youths mental ability to reminisce and organize a session towards accelerating demographic dividend.
He celebrated the youths who know the importance of data in their encephalon in growing policies.
The convener and President of the Sustainable Development Club, Temiloluwa Oyeniyi in her welcome address revealed the purpose of the training session. She stated that it is as a result of the boot camp on media for Demographic Dividend organized at ikorodu, Lagos State.
“Every country goes through demographic dividend. Therefore, we can and must make Nigeria one of them” Temiloluwa Oyeniyi said this in her first illustration as she explained demographic dividend to be the economic benefit of a country that can take place when there is a decline in mortality followed by a rapid decline in fertility, thus producing smaller, healthier families, fewer dependents and a bulge youth cohort that can be educated and empowered to enter the labour market.
The Chairman, Press council, Comrade Malik Kolade in his presentation titled “Rudiments of Storytelling In Journalism” highlighted the importance of media personnel in accelerating demographic dividend, as he gave narrative techniques on how news story, features, investigative journalism, and interview can be a major tool in accelerating demographic dividend.
He further gave a detailed components of news story, elements of a feature story, qualities needed in interviewing session and techniques in investigative journalism.
The training featured research on youth participation and governance, health and well – being, entrepreneurship and employment, education and skills building as well as networking.