In a significant boost for media and communication training in Nigeria, the founder and president of the MAAUN Group, Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, has donated a fully equipped facility in Abuja to the PRNigeria Academy. The announcement came during an unplanned visit by the prominent education entrepreneur to the PRNigeria Centre in Kano on January 2, 2026.
A Strategic Hub for Media Excellence
This generous donation is set to transform the Abuja location into a strategic hub for professional development. The facility will provide modern training spaces and residential accommodation for participants in the Academy's specialised programmes, including Young Communication Fellows. The move directly addresses a critical need for a residential training centre at the organisation's Abuja headquarters.
Yushau Shuaib, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, hailed the endowment as an "incredible New Year gift" to Nigeria's media community. He stated that the act reinforces Professor Gwarzo's standing as a transformative figure in African higher education. "We appreciate him—not only for this gesture, but for his consistent investment in education, mostly in Northern Nigeria," Shuaib added.
Celebrating Milestones and Ethical Journalism
The handover event coincided with celebrations marking Professor Gwarzo's 48th birthday. A public lecture held in Kano explored the timely theme: "AI and the Emerging Trends of Online Newspapers: Reflections on the Ethics of Journalism." The discussion centred on the profound influence of artificial intelligence on modern media practice.
Keynote speaker and award-winning PRNigeria fact-checker, Mohammed Dahiru Lawal, warned that journalism is entering a hyper-realistic information era. He observed that a growing share of public content is now synthetic or AI-generated. AI-generated videos, images, and audio clips are increasingly used to spread misinformation, especially during security crises and politically sensitive periods, sometimes amplified by platforms with weak editorial oversight.
Echoing the need for human oversight, Dr. Musa Sufi, Chairman of the Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo Foundation, cautioned journalists against over-reliance on AI. "AI is here to help professionals do their work better, but it cannot replace human judgment and skills," Sufi told the gathering. He stressed that journalists must continue to hone their core competencies independently of technology.
Partnerships and Professional Recognition
The partnership between PRNigeria Academy and the MAAUN Group underscores the growing role of private-sector intervention in workforce development. Dr. Sule Ya'u Sule, IMPR Board Chairman, noted it strengthens the national workforce through specialised skill acquisition.
Professor Mohammad Israr, President of MAAUN Kano, disclosed the university's recent achievement of becoming the first institution in Northern Nigeria to secure professional corporate membership of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He described this as proof of the university's dedication to ethical communication and assured that its Mass Communication Department remains focused on producing industry-ready graduates.
The event also celebrated recent honours: Professor Gwarzo was named Edupreneur of the Year at the 2025 Arewa Stars Awards, while MAAUN Mass Communication students excelled at the recent Campus Journalism and Young Communicator Awards. Convener Adnan Mukhtar praised his mentor, Professor Gwarzo, calling his lifelong investment in education and human capital development, culminating in the establishment of MAAUN, both rare and exemplary.
