Source: Facebook
- Dave Ibemere, Legit.ng's senior business editor, joined 42 journalists from 10 African countries in the inaugural MTN Pan-African Media Innovation Programme
- The programme, delivered with the University of Johannesburg and the African Editors Forum, covers AI, audience analytics and sustainable media practices
- Ibemere is representing Nigeria in a continental initiative designed to build a network of media leaders driving innovation across Africa
Dave Ibemere, Legit.ng's senior business editor, has been selected as one of 42 media professionals across Africa to participate in the first edition of the MTN Pan-African Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a continental effort to strengthen journalism and drive digital transformation across the industry.Ibemere is representing Nigeria in the programme, which brings together journalists, editors, and media practitioners from 10 African countries.
The initiative is delivered in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and The African Editors Forum (TAEF).
What the Programme Covers
The curriculum spans digital journalism, storytelling, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, audience engagement and analytics, media entrepreneurship, sustainability, ethics, and digital transformation.
The programme is structured around a combination of online academic modules and an in-person learning and immersion phase hosted at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
It directly addresses the pressures facing news organisations today, including shifting audience habits, evolving technology, and the erosion of traditional media revenue streams.
Participants are expected to develop practical approaches to newsroom innovation, ethical storytelling, and financially sustainable media operations.
Source: Facebook
Building a Pan-African Media Network
The programme builds on a national pilot previously run in Nigeria and forms part of MTN Group's broader push to support professional development and innovation within the African media industry.
Beyond the curriculum itself, the initiative aims to foster cross-border exchange among media leaders, creating a professional network capable of driving long-term change in African journalism.
For Ibemere, the fellowship is an opportunity to engage directly with media professionals from across the continent and examine how technology, data, and new storytelling approaches can raise the quality and impact of journalism in Nigeria and beyond.
Source: Legit.ng