Citibank Nigeria Limited, in continuation of its support for professional journalism in Nigeria, hosted the annual Citi Financial Journalists Training, recently. The event covered topics on financial markets as well as macroeconomics. The programme drew 23 journalists from major print and electronic media houses. The seminar was facilitated by Citibank Nigeria’s chief operating officer, Akin Dawodu; country treasurer, Bayo Adeyemo; managing director of SDI/Ruyi Communications, Soni Irabor, and managing director of Teambuilding Nigeria, Yinka Olugbodi.
The training provided an in-depth analysis of the financial markets and highlighted how economic trends and indicators should be interpreted. The forum also provided an excellent opportunity for interactive discussions between key media operators in the local market. The Citi Financial Journalists Training aligns with Citi’s commitment towards capacity building among various stakeholders in the Nigerian economic space.
Some topics covered during the course of the event included understanding and interpreting economic reports, fixed income market and trading, writing business news for institutional investors and understanding key risks. Media veteran, Soni Irabor facilitated a session on financial reporting in journalism and spoke extensively on the importance of ethics. Yinka Olugbodi of Teambuilding Nigeria administered several brainteasers that served to stimulate the minds of the delegates in relation to the topics taught.
According to Dawodu, the Citi Financial Journalists Training speaks to one of Citi’s core strengths in the market, saying “over the last 30 years, we have been at the forefront of providing financial markets training to industry colleagues, including our competitors, as well as regulators such as the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“This seminar is a natural progression to ensure that journalists who cover the financial sector have the core competence and knowledge base to appropriately report issues affecting our industry. As Citi celebrates 30 years of service to Nigeria, we remain committed to enabling progress through capacity building initiatives such as this.”
Also present at the occasion was the national chairman of the Finance Correspondent’s Association of Nigeria, Babajide Komolafe. While speaking at the seminar, Komolafe commended Citi’s ingenuity and stated that “with increased focus on Nigeria from foreign investors, it has become essential that financial journalists are able to fully understand the economic factors at play in the marketplace. This training will enable them relay a true picture of events in a professional manner. This sort of program is critical to the development and advancement of both financial journalism and the financial industry. It is our hope that Citi is able to expand this training to reach more journalists around the country.”
The event concluded with a certificate/plaque presentation and closing remark by Adeyemo, who reiterated Citi’s continued support towards capacity building initiatives in Nigeria and across the world.
