As part of efforts to enhance modern journalism practice, Chief Executive Officer of Lifestyle Hues and Adobe Ambassador in Nigeria, Ayodotun Akinfenwa, recently partnered with Adobe Express and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council to train 100 journalists on digital content creation, visual storytelling and productivity tools.
Workshop Details
The one-day capacity-building workshop was held at the FCT Press Centre in Abuja, bringing together journalists from public and private broadcast and print media organisations, as well as public sector information officers. The workshop aimed to equip media professionals with the skills needed to thrive in today's digital-first media landscape.
Opening Remarks
Declaring the training open, Chairman of NUJ FCT Council, Grace Ike, reiterated the Council's commitment to empowering journalists through continuous learning, innovation and exposure to global best practices. She noted that the rapidly evolving media environment requires journalists to continually upgrade their skills to remain relevant and effective.
“We remain committed to building our members' capacity through continuous learning, innovation, and exposure to global best practices. I believe this training is one of many steps we are taking to ensure that our members remain competitive, relevant, and impactful,” she said.
Ike expressed appreciation to Lifestyle Hues and the Adobe Express team for partnering with the Council to provide the training. She encouraged participants to maximise the opportunity by actively engaging with the facilitators and applying the lessons learned in their respective newsrooms.
Training Sessions
The sessions included demonstrations on designing logos, flyers, breaking news videos, video editing and AI generative tools on the Adobe Express platform, which offers both free and paid subscription options. A few lucky winners were selected to receive free one-year premium subscriptions, sponsored by the Adobe Community team.
Speaker's Insights
Speaking during the session, Akinfenwa explained that the training was designed to help journalists embrace modern content creation tools that can improve efficiency, storytelling, and audience engagement.
“Journalists, like professionals in many fields, need to understand how to create designs, announcements, presentations, and engaging content as part of their work. Tools like Adobe Express help users become more independent and significantly enhance productivity,” she said.
Akinfenwa noted that journalism today extends beyond writing stories and requires the ability to create compelling visual and multimedia content for audiences across multiple platforms.
“The media landscape has evolved, and the way we present information must evolve as well. The ability to design compelling visuals, edit multimedia content, and present stories in engaging formats has become a core part of modern journalism. Tools such as Adobe Express are essential instruments for effective communication in the digital age,” she stated.
The brand marketing consultant and digital communications expert said the initiative reflects her commitment to empowering professionals through practical skills development and knowledge sharing.
“I love to empower people and give back to my community. When the opportunity came to collaborate with Adobe Express and the NUJ FCT Council on this training, it was something I was passionate about supporting because journalists play a critical role in informing and shaping society. Thanks to the Adobe team for supporting causes like these,” she said.
Digital Visibility
Highlighting the importance of digital visibility, Akinfenwa encouraged journalists to actively build their professional presence online.
“One thing I have noticed is that people who are not putting out their content and showing up online often miss opportunities. Many of them have tremendous experience and expertise, but visibility matters. Digital platforms have become important channels for sharing knowledge, building credibility, and creating opportunities,” she added.
She also called on media owners and publishers across Nigeria to invest more deliberately in training and retraining journalists to keep pace with emerging technologies and changing audience expectations.
“Journalists are major influencers culturally, socially, and economically. They must remain at the cutting edge of communication technologies, AI tools, content creation platforms, and publishing solutions. Media organisations that invest in continuous learning for their teams will ultimately strengthen their competitiveness and impact,” she said.
Akinfenwa further urged media executives to provide regular access to professional development opportunities that expose journalists, presenters, reporters and production teams to the latest tools and best practices in digital communication.
Participant Feedback
Participants described the training as timely, practical and impactful, noting that the skills acquired would enhance their productivity and improve the way they create and distribute content. Many also called for more partnerships and training initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of journalists in an increasingly digital media environment.
