RismadarVoice Reporters
January 26, 2026
Veteran journalists in Osun State have announced plans to retrain journalism practitioners across the state and beyond, in a bid to raise professional standards, address the declining quality of practice in the industry.
The journalists, operating under the umbrella of the Veteran Journalists Association (VJA), said the initiative would focus on mentoring both upcoming and practising journalists, with strong emphasis on professionalism, ethical conduct and adherence to journalistic standards.
The plan was disclosed in a statement issued by the Association’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sanya Fadipe, following a recent meeting of the body.
According to the statement, the retraining programme is designed to reduce errors in journalistic practice and curb the growing influence of what the association described as “emergency and fake practitioners” within the profession.
The initiative was unveiled during a meeting at which the Chairman of the association, Mr. Smolette Alamu, formally presented the association’s Certificate of Registration issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to members.
Alamu said the association’s legal recognition, described as the first of its kind for a veteran journalists’ body in Nigeria, would further inspire members to strengthen their mentorship role and contribute more meaningfully to the development of journalism in the country.
He commended the dedication, resilience of members in sustaining the Association, and the efforts of its legal adviser, whose work led to the successful registration of the body.
Speakers at the meeting also urged practising journalists to continually upgrade their skills and uphold the highest ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.
The Veteran Journalists Association is composed of seasoned journalists with a minimum of 40 years’ experience in print and electronic media, all of whom retired from active service as chief executive officers in their respective organizations.
