On Monday December 1st, a diverse group of over 30 influential Nigerian journalists convened to directly chart the course for ethical media practices in the digital age. These key participants, drawn from major news organizations, professional unions, and academic institutions, kicked off an intensive capacity-building workshop focused on Artificial Intelligence Governance and Newsroom Readiness. This crucial gathering marks a definitive step toward securing a responsible and ethical future for journalism across the country.
Organized by Orodata Science and the Africa Data Hub under the Pan-Atlantic Newsroom Artificial Intelligence (PAN-AI) initiative, the one-day program was designed to move beyond tool introduction and confront the critical need for strong ethical and governance frameworks within the media ecosystem.
Why Governance Now?
As AI rapidly integrates into news production, setting clear standards is non-negotiable. Cecilia Ugwunwa kicked off the training, underscoring the necessity of strengthening media capacity to handle this technological shift responsibly.
Eromosele John of Orodata Science and the Africa Data Hub delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the urgent requirement for Nigerian newsrooms to prepare proactively. He articulated the core mission of the PAN-AI Network: to foster a national community dedicated to shaping the future of AI in Nigerian media through responsible adoption.
Key Workshop Highlights: Frameworks and Functionality
The program combined practical application with necessary governance dialogue:
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Responsible Prompt Engineering: Justin Chuka led the first session, providing a practical walkthrough of AI tools relevant to the newsroom. Crucially, the demonstration emphasized responsible prompt engineering and the ethical imperative in using AI systems for reporting.
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Addressing Adoption Barriers: A subsequent panel session, moderated by Bunmi Yekini, offered a stark look at the current state of AI adoption. The discussion brought to light significant barriers, including limited technical capacity, infrastructural challenges, and the looming risk of misinformation.
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Hands-on Governance Framework Creation: In a highly interactive focus group, participants from broadcast and other media stakeholders worked together to brainstorm and present ideas for creating bespoke governance frameworks tailored to media organizations.
Panel Session – AI Adoption and Newsroom Readiness in Nigeria
Major Outputs: A Roadmap for Responsible AI
This collaborative session produced five major, actionable outputs that will inform the PAN-AI Network’s strategy:
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The urgent need for a formalized AI Governance Framework.
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Establishment of a strict Quality Control Process for AI use.
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Mandatory Tagging or Referencing of AI-generated content.
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Development of robust Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies.
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Creation of Bespoke Newsroom Policies specific to AI integration.
Innovation and Sustainability
The training also looked forward to new revenue streams, showcasing an interactive session on Notebook LLM and how participants can create AI-powered interactive podcasts. As Orodata Science recognizes, diversifying product offerings like podcasts is a key strategy for increasing internally generated revenue for sustainable newsrooms.
Joining the PAN-AI Governance Network
The workshop concluded with a strong call to action: join the PAN-AI Governance Network. This national community is positioned to chart Nigeria’s definitive roadmap for ethical AI integration within the media industry.
Eromosele John closed the session by outlining the immediate next steps for implementing the newly defined governance frameworks and encouraged continuous collaboration to strengthen ethical standards in digital journalism. The networking lunch that followed cemented the day’s work, providing a space for journalists to forge partnerships and discuss AI-driven innovations for impactful storytelling.
Orodata Science is committed to ensuring that Nigerian media professionals are fully equipped and remain at the forefront as AI rapidly reshapes the global information ecosystem.
If you are interested in joining the PAN-AI Governance Network or learning more about developing responsible AI policies for your newsroom, please contact us.
