Friday August 28, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

By Dennis UDOMA, Uyo

The United States Consulate General, Lagos, has concluded a two-session capacity-building programme for journalists in Akwa Ibom State.

The training, titled “AI for Journalists: U.S. Technologies Transforming News Production” ended on Thursday nationwide with a focus on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and emerging digital technologies in modern news production.

According to the Press Office of the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Consulate General, the training was designed to equip journalists with practical skills in using digital and AI-powered tools to find, verify, analyse and report news stories.

The second session was facilitated by Ken Kiunga, a Google News Initiative Trainer for Sub-Saharan Africa, who has more than a decade of experience in broadcast, print and digital journalism.

Kiunga, who trains journalists and journalism students across Africa on the application of digital and AI tools, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communication from the University of Nairobi and an Executive Master’s degree in Media Leadership and Innovation.

He is also pursuing an Executive MBA at the Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Earlier, the first session was led by Chris Coates, Senior Director of Local News at Lee Enterprises, where he oversees editorial strategy and newsroom transformation across more than 70 local news organisations in 25 states in the United States.

Coates, who has over two decades of newsroom experience, specialises in local journalism, audience engagement and digital innovation, including the practical application of AI in newsroom workflows.

He also leads training programmes and workshops for editors and journalists across the United States and previously served as Executive Editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The programme was part of efforts by the U.S. Consulate to strengthen journalists’ capacity to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies and promote the responsible use of AI in contemporary news gathering, verification and production.

The AI and Digital News Production training for journalists and students of journalism was conducted simultaneously at the 30 Windows on America centres across Nigeria.

One of the participants, Dennis Udoma, described the training as timely and transformational, noting that digital technologies and AI were rapidly reshaping the journalism profession.

Udoma commended the U.S. Consulate General and the American Government for providing journalists with practical knowledge and skills to navigate emerging trends in digital journalism and information technology.

He said the training was particularly “apt” given the growing influence of AI and other digital technologies on the future of journalism.