By: Abdulhafeez Oyewole
Media professionals and public officials have been called upon to prioritise storytelling and thorough documentation of government activities to promote transparency, credibility, and proper archiving for future reference.
Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bola Olukoju, made this call on Thursday in Ilorin during the closing ceremony of a five-day capacity-building training on documentary production, organised by the Kwara Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project in collaboration with FOUR ICONS Premium Limited.
Kwara L-PRES, a World Bank-assisted initiative under the State Ministry of Livestock Development, is designed to enhance livestock productivity and resilience across the state.
Participants at the training included media professionals from various organisations and government agencies, such as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Olayinka Fafoluyi; Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Ibrahim Abdullateef; and Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola.
Describing the training as timely and impactful, Olukoju said it broadened participants’ knowledge on effective storytelling, use of visuals, and application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in documentary production.
“Training in documentary production is a way to go because the power of documentation cannot be rivalled. The art of storytelling is how we get our story outside. We don’t want governance to be like something we just cook up. We want a human feeling angle to it. That is why we want people to understand the art of storytelling,” Olukoju told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
“This training is very important because we were taught about techniques of documentary production, effective progress reporting, how to use pictures to tell a proper story, and how to understand and apply different AI tools to enhance our works.
“A lot of people believe AI is going to take over their jobs. That is not so. AI will only amplify what you already know, and as a creative tool, you cannot do without it. You just have to try and align your brand with AI.”
The Commissioner, who was also a participant, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for approving the training and for his commitment to digital inclusion and media development.
State Project Coordinator, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye, noted that L-PRES has conducted over 2,000 training sessions for stakeholders, including livestock farmers, butchers, abattoir workers, and extension agents.
He listed areas of focus such as fodder production, bull fattening, hygiene practices, occupational safety, and climate-smart agriculture.
Oyawoye appreciated the Governor’s support and called on media officers to continue amplifying the achievements of the L-PRES project.
Resource person and CEO of FOUR ICONS Premium, Aishat Onusi, emphasised that documentation in development work is more than record-keeping -- it is evidence of progress, a learning tool, and a basis for accountability.
“Without proper documentation, great efforts risk being forgotten, duplicated, or unrecognised,” she stated.
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