By Faridat Salifu
Sterling Bank Holding, one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions, has taken a significant initiative in empowering journalists as it marks the 2025 National Sustainability Week with a two-day media training program in Abuja.
The training, which kicked off on Monday, was powered by Sterling Bank Holdings in partnership with the Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC) and supported by The Alternative Bank and NatureNews Africa.
Themed “Storytelling for Good: Reporting Sustainability, Innovation and Nigeria’s Future,” the training brought together editors, producers, reporters, broadcasters, and digital content creators from across Nigeria.
Mrs. Bunmi Ajiboye, Chair of the Sustainability Working Group at Sterling Financial Holdings Company, said storytelling plays a powerful role in shaping public understanding, culture, and policy.
Ajiboye, who is an IT expert, described journalists as critical partners in driving sustainability and national development.
She said sustainability reporting goes beyond environmental issues to include economic growth, innovation, development, and people-centred solutions.
Mrs. Ajiboye highlighted Sterling’s investments in renewable energy, circular-economy startups, climate-smart agriculture, and youth empowerment as progress that must be effectively communicated.
“Your stories can ignite action, correct misinformation, and inspire change,” she told journalists.
She urged media professionals to approach sustainability reporting with accuracy, depth, and responsibility to build public trust.
Speaking on media ethics and artificial intelligence, Aliu Akoshile, Executive Director of CAMIC, warned that deepfakes and misinformation pose serious threats to credible journalism, press freedom and public trust.
Akoshile, who is also the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Nature News, said AI-driven personalisation and filter bubbles could restrict audiences’ exposure to diverse perspectives, added that journalists must acquire the necessary skills to combat deepfakes.
He also raised concerns about algorithmic bias and fairness, noting that poorly designed AI systems could reinforce discrimination, profiling, and inequality in media reporting.
Akoshile stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and strict adherence to professional ethics in the use of AI by journalists.
He urged journalists to clearly label AI-generated content and apply rigorous fact-checking before publication or broadcasting of suspicious narratives.
He urged journalists and editors to be familiar with deepfakes creation softwares such as deepFaceLab, Avatarify, FaceSwap, ZAO, and DeepBrain,
Akoshile referenced UNESCO’s 2021 “Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” calling for media literacy initiatives to help audiences better understand AI systems.
He said editors and journalists need to be familiar with deepfake detection softwares including Microsoft Video Authenticator, Reality Defender, Sensity, and Deepware Scanner.
Akoshile said journalists must report responsibly on both the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence in society to help the public make informed decisions on media consumption.
On financial sustainability, Akogun Isiaq Ajibola, co-founder and former Managing Director of Media Trust, urged media organisations to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional advertising and print circulation.
Ajibola said shrinking advertising budgets, inflation, and the migration of adverts to global digital platforms have made reliance on a single revenue source increasingly risky for media sustainability.
He cited examples such as The New York Times’ subscription-led digital model, Premium Times’ blend of grants and investigative funding, and BusinessDay’s investment in premium content and events.
Ajibola recommended digital subscriptions, events, branded content, data services, podcasts, training programmes, and philanthropic support to strengthen media resilience.
He stressed that revenue growth must be matched with cost control measures, including lean newsroom structures, digital-first workflows, and sound financial management.
Ajibola also encouraged professional networking, continuous learning, and peer collaboration to improve journalism quality, particularly in the absence of strong labour unions in the sector.
Speaking on practical applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Victoria Bamas, Editor at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), explained the correlation between AI-driven content creation, distribution and optimisation.
Bamas, who is also a digital media and AI specialist, explained that AI tools can support journalists through writing assistance, fact-checking, summarisation, visual content generation, and audio-visual production.
She listed tools including ChatGPT, Grammarly, Jasper, Writesonic, ClaimBuster, QuillBot, DALL•E, MidJourney, Canva AI, Pictory, Descript, Adobe Firefly, ElevenLabs and Lumen5.
Bamas demonstrated how AI can automate publishing across social media platforms, websites, and newsletters.
She explained audience segmentation, targeting, personalised recommendations, and performance monitoring as ways to ensure content reaches the right audience.
Bamas also highlighted content repurposing, showing how a single story can be adapted into multiple formats for different platforms.
She mentioned tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprinklr, HubSpot AI, Mailchimp, Brevo, Anyword, Copy.ai, Rytr and HypeAuditor for content distribution and optimisation.
Bamas said AI can improve search engine optimisation, headline testing, engagement prediction, trend analysis, and sentiment monitoring.
She noted that responsible AI use helps journalists tailor content to audience behaviour while increasing visibility, engagement, and impact.
Speakers at the session stressed that ethical journalism, responsible AI adoption, and sustainable business models are essential for maintaining editorial integrity and public trust.
Participants said the training equipped them with practical tools and strategies to produce high-quality, optimised, and socially relevant journalism in a digital-first media environment.
The Sterling Bank’s annual Sustainability Week is devoted to promoting sustainable development, environmental awareness, and community engagement in aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Bank’s initiatives over the years cover tree planting, waste management, and supporting sustainable agriculture.
In 2024, Sterling One Foundation, in collaboration with Quoray and Sterling Bank, led a nationwide cleanup as part of National Sustainability Week, aiming to mobilize communities for environmental action.
