Polaris Bank Empowers 500 Nigerian Journalists On Modern Trends

Nigeria's forward-thinking financial institution, Polaris Bank Limited has hosted a hybrid capacity-building seminar for 500 journalists  in Nigeria and the diaspora to equip media professionals with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in modern journalism practice.

The seminar which recently held in Lagos had as its theme: “Empowering Journalists In The Digital Age: Storytelling, Tools And Transformation."

Head of Brand Management and Corporate Communications Polaris Bank Rasheed Bolarinwa in his welcome address emphasised the bank’s longstanding tradition in media education; noting that Polaris Bank has been investing in initiatives such as this for 12 years; upholding its vanguard in digital capacity building for Nigerian journalists.

Bolarinwa added that empowering journalists to be self-sufficient has been the guiding principle behind Polaris bank executive management's approval and support of the annual seminar.

The capacity building seminar featured training sessions facilitated by two ace

 journalists Mr. Taiwo Obe, Founder and Director of The Journalism Clinic and Mr. Abayomi Adisa a senior journalist with the BBC.

Obe reminded participants of the fundamental purpose of journalism, quoting veteran American journalist Tom Rosenstiel: “The purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information required to make the best possible decisions about their lives 

communities, societies and their governments.”

He encouraged journalists to explore and utilize a variety of free digital applications available on the Google Play Store by

incorporating audio, video and interactive graphics to tell more compelling stories which ultimately aid reportage.

Obe also highlighted the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigerian newsrooms noting that AI is now being used for tasks such as copy editing content illustration content strategy and advertising targeting which opens new avenues for efficiency and creativity in journalism.

On the other hand Mr. Abayomi Adisa whose  presentation was centred on writing for social media urged journalists to harness the magic of making their audiences stop engage and share their posts; while outlining the key strategies for crafting effective posts and teasers to ensure the content is personal relevant to the audience engaging shareable and concise.

The Group Head of Customer Experience and Value Management at Polaris Bank 

Mrs. Bukola Oluyadi in her closing remarks emphasized the bank’s commitment to supporting the media emphasising that such trainings are crucial for pen-pushers whose roles cannot be overlooked by any organisation.

Nigeria's Creative Economy

Woodhall Capital, Lagos State Govt, Polaris Bank, UK Govt To Give Creative Industry Facelift 

In a bid to reposition the Nigerian creative industry in line with global best standards leading global financial services firm Woodhall Capital in Partnership with Polaris Bank the United Kingdom and Lagos State Governments have launched a ₦1.5 Billion fund to scale Nigeria’s Creative Economy.

The fund aimed at expanding access to structured financing for creative entrepreneurs is expected to scale their output across fashion, film, music, and digital content creation. 

The funding was unveiled during the launch of the Creative Currency Podcast; an initiative designed to foster collaboration between creatives, financiers, policymakers and the global stakeholders. 

The platform would serve as both a podcast and policy engagement forum aimed at addressing long-standing challenges such as limited access to finance, weak Intellectual Property(IP) enforcement and the absence of scalable business infrastructure within the creative ecosystem.

Recall in May 2022 Polaris Bank partnered the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to establish a ₦1 billion funding initiative targeted at artisans in Lagos State.

The objective of the partnership was to deliver critical financial support to empower skilled artisans and entrepreneurs within the MSME sector who had maintained active business operations for at least one year while ultimately fostering wealth creation and economic inclusion across the state.

L-R- Abimbola Ozomah, Executive Director, Polaris Bank; Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, Founder/CEO, Woodhall Capital; Sola Carrena, MD/CEO, Helios Investment; Onyinyechi Aderigbigbe, Head, Brands & Marketing, Woodhall Capital; Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner at the signing