At a modest gathering of reporters over the weekend, a veteran of Nigeria’s media and academic circles urged journalists to strengthen bonds of fraternity and unity in their work, saying that such solidarity remains essential to the public good and the country’s democratic development.
Dr. Sule Ya’u Sule, an associate professor of strategic communication at Bayero University, Kano, told members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists that informal encounters among colleagues could help sustain the profession’s vitality.
“Events like this allow us to fraternize and socialize,” he said at the Press Centre in Kano on Sunday, where the group held a lighthearted session it called a “Tea Break.” “They give us the opportunity to relieve pressure after hectic work and to keep the ink flowing.”
Dr. Sule, who previously served as director of press under a military administrator in Kano State and later as director-general of media during the civilian administration of former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, sponsored the event. He urged the chapel’s leadership to maintain the momentum by organizing regular gatherings.
His remarks drew praise from Halilu Baba Dantiye, a former commissioner of information in Kano State and past president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Mr. Dantiye described Dr. Sule as a stalwart who had consistently advanced the welfare of journalists.
“I commend him for sponsoring this,” Mr. Dantiye said. “It is in keeping with his long record of supporting the profession and those who practice it.”
The Correspondents’ Chapel chairman, Comrade Murtala Adewale, said the “Tea Break” series was conceived as a space for journalists to unwind and reflect together before returning to family life. He thanked Dr. Sule for underwriting the inaugural edition and said the chapel hoped to draw more friends and collaborators in the future.
The event, which blended camaraderie with professional reflection, drew a cross-section of media and public affairs figures. Among those in attendance were Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, spokesman of the Kano State Police Command; Tahir Balarabe, spokesman for the Kano-Jigawa Customs Command; Ibrahim Shuaibu Garba, press secretary to the state’s deputy governor; and Lamara Garba, director of public affairs at Bayero University, who is also a former chapel chairman.
For Dr. Sule, the message was simple: the health of Nigerian journalism depends not only on rigorous reporting but also on the informal ties that bind practitioners together. “I congratulate the Correspondents’ Chapel leadership for this initiative,” he said. “It will keep you united and focused.”