Crescent Varsity Scholar, Jamiu Folarin, Nine Others Get $20,000 Solutions Journalism Grants For Nigeria, Kenya
A scholar of mass communication at the prestigious Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, Jamiu Folarin has won $20,000 Solutions Journalism grants alongside nine other professionals in Nigeria and Kenya.
Consequently, the vice chancellor, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila has expressed his congratulations to the Dean of College of Arts, Social and Management Sciences (CASMAS),Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun and Head, Department of Mass Communication of the institution, Dr Kola Adesina on the feat.
This is contained in a release by the Public Relations Officer, Idris Katib.
Prof. Gbajabiamila explained that the department of mass communication of the institution which prides itself as Citadel of Academic and Moral Excellence has always always been at the forefront of excellence since the inception of the university.
Earlier, the Africa Initiative Manager of Solutions Journalism Network (SJN), Ruona Meyer who announced the winners of the grants in a statement had said that the 10 Fellows of the Initiative would pioneer a community of content creators and platforms that would enhance solutions journalism for Africa, by Africans.
The Fellowship is a Solution Journalism Network’s Africa Initiative, in which 60 newsrooms and 30 Fellows across Nigeria and Kenya will receive training and funding, over a period of three years.
The Solutions Journalism Network is a non-profit organisation with a presence across 18 countries, and over 500 newsrooms.
The five Solutions Journalism Africa Fellows from Nigeria are Jamiu Folarin, a lecturer at Crescent University, Abeokuta, whose curriculum development project is Mainstreaming Solutions Journalism in Ogun state.
Others are journalists Zainab Sanni, who will be setting up a solutions journalism investigative radio desk at Agdigbo 88.7FM, Seun Durojaiye, who will pioneer solutions journalism training in Nigeria’s official languages, Lekan Otufodunrin who will build and run the Solutions Journalism West Africa Hub; Abdulkareem Mojeed of Premium Times newspaper who will be reporting on Climate Change Solutions for Agriculture “with the conviction that the news was telling too many stories that were causing people to feel powerless, out of control, depressed, fatalistic and scared.
In furtherance of support to solutions journalism-focused projects, Director of Journalism School partnerships, Solutions Journalism Network, Professor Francine Huff, will provide mentorship and supports to two journalism educators,Jamiu Folarin and Lekan Otufodurin who are part of the Fellowship.
Francine promised to share resources, tools and allow them to use the SJN curriculum builder that would help them work on courses, figure out lesson plans and to put together Syllabi.
Jamiu Folarin lectures communication courses at Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria, where he is students' favourite. Folarin is a doctoral candidate at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. A freelance journalist with over ten years’ experience, his project will pioneer formal uptake of solutions journalism by educators, students, and reporters.