The Director, General Studies Department, Paul University Awka, Anambra State, Dr Davidson Azubuike Nkala, has called on media owners, practising journalists and editors to upscale their status through capacity building, academic and skills acquisitions for stability and wellbeing, especially at retirement age.
Nkala expressed worry over the harsh condition under which Journalism practitioners, who constitute the very strategic Fourth Estate of the Realm, operate in Nigeria.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that the Versity Don who made the call while delivering a lecture at October 2025 Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, held at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Centre, Awka, lamented over reasons some media practitioners die of abject poverty or sicknesses.
He revealed that it was due to occupational hazards which often make it impossible for journalists to amass wealth legally for upkeep of themselves and families.
The experienced Journalism practitioner and teacher identified a lot of the impediments on the path of the practitioners including hostility from public agencies, poor encouragement and appreciation from the public, poor pay, poor tools of operation etc.
Delving analytically into the difficulties, he asked the ‘pen-pushers’ to regard them as energizing challenges, and push on with their crucial duty to the society.
Dr Nkala, emphasizing on the resolve to refuse being intimidated, counselled the practitioners to make out time and resources as they practice to expand the scope of their means of livelihood for now and the future, pointing out that life could harsh without such arrangement.
Uche Osunkwo
According to him, when a journalist discovers their potential or skill, develop and invest positively to harness them, it would be difficult for such a professional to engage in unprofessional practices, live in abject poverty or die because of lack of finances for a proper medical care.
He also called on the NUJ, Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) and other affiliate bodies in the media to form thrift societies and microfinance banks capable of empowering members to develop themselves or live comfortably.
“Time has come when Nigerian journalists should build capacity and aim for multiple sources of income for their families in order to overcome our poverty situation and torn coast syndrome associated with Nigerian journalists over the years. The paycheck of Nigeria Journalists is too poor. The rate at which journalist are sacked is too frequent.
“The rate at which media organizations are shut down is too frequent. The solution is that journalists must look inwards. We must therefore dust our books, go back to the University, get our masters and doctoral degrees for the purpose of up scaling our statuses and be in a position to negotiate our paychecks with potential employers and entrepreneurs.
“It is time to pool our resources together to form financial combines, thrift societies, collaborations and Microfinance Banks that will be dedicated to funding old age sickness and poverty of Journalist when they become old in the face of lack of terminal benefits.
“Journalists unions (NPO, NGE and others) should not allow their retired old fellows to die of sicknesses, terminal diseases and old age syndromes which they suffer due to lack of financial up-keep.
“Journalists should also embark on capacity building by opting for masters and doctoral degrees while at work in order to get higher bargaining powers in employments and consultancies after retirements,” he added.
Earlier speaking, the Chairman, NUJ, Anambra State Council, Dr Odogwu Emeka Odogwu explained that the lecture was part of his administrations efforts to empower members with the knowledge and survival strategies amidst the economic downturn in the country
