Abdulazeez Khadijah reports,

The National Association of Campus Journalists, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Chapter (NACJ-UDUS) on Saturday, 11th of January, 2026 held her first congress of the 2025/2036 academic session, training campus journalists on responsible journalism at the A134 lecture hall of the FAIS building.

The training, themed, “Beyond Five W’s and H: The Duty of Campus Journalist,” focused on the power and responsibilities of journalists on campus.

The trainer, who also doubles as the Vice President of the association, Mr. Abdullateef Faruq explained that campus journalists must learn how to communicate and handle situations carefully due to risks of threats, intimidation, and attempts to silence their work.

The journalists were advised to always keep evidence, records of conversations, and proof of interactions when reporting sensitive stories involving people in authority.

Going further, Social responsibility and advocacy were explained as the key roles of campus journalists while analytical and Interpretive skills were labelled as “must have” for campus journalists. The need to uphold the highest level of integrity was also stressed.

In an interview with the participants, Gamji Press member Olarinde Sodiq said he gained “a lot from today’s program, including the 5 W’s and H, verification, honesty, integrity, and being the voice of the voiceless.”

He added that what stood out most was the trainer’s experience, especially how he used his various experiences on campus as a journalist to explain what is expected of them.

“The training opened my eyes to my responsibilities, the challenges I should expect as a campus journalist and how to overcome them. I appreciate the trainer for sharing his knowledge with us,” he said.

Another participant, Abubakar Muizat, said she learnt that campus journalists must hold the school and student body accountable while maintaining truth and integrity.

When asked on how she intends applying the knowledge she gained from the training session, she explained, “I intend to write more impactful and credible stories that will spark conversations and bring positive change”.

When this reporter spoke with one of the executives of the association, the NACJ-UDUS Principal Editor, Sebiotimo Abdullateef explained the current administration’s commitment to ensuring the highest level of journalistic excellence of its reporters.

“We are committed to ensuring that our reporters continue to excel in their journalism career through the organization of various training sessions. Today’s session was an impactful one and NACJ-UDUS will continue to organize more of this,” he said.