The Vice-Chancellor of University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, has expressed support for Daily Trust’s Membership Scheme to promote inclusive journalism.
Prof Na’Allah gave the assurance when the management team of Daily Trust led by the Editor in Chief, Malam Naziru Mikailu, visited him at his office in Abuja on Monday.
He said the university, which already has a robust mentoring programme for students, will work with Daily Trust to mentor the students.
“If we get them involved in the programme, they may not have time to engage in undesirable behaviours. Apart from the skills and the possibility of them to develop an interest to follow, it is also for the future.”
“They should be having some mentors; without mentors, they may become drug addicts and trouble makers. Some of them when they go back home, they spend short time at home before going back to university and at home, their parents will think they are the best behaved because they will be quiet in school but they maybe leader of a cult group,” he said
He, however, said the students will be put through to enable them contribute to the programme.
“I am looking forward to when our mentorship programme will win some international awards because the truth is that we need to mentor them on what technology is about; on how young people can be wealthy through hard work,” he said.
Earlier, Malam Mikailu said the programme is aimed at attracting the university community, mostly students who are interested in writing to join the team and enhance the kind of journalism the organisation is offering.