NewsDirect, an integrated print and digital media company has officially launched a robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mission, the Inkline Initiative, backed by a committed fund of N20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira).
This significant financial dedication, spread over the next five years, is designed to proactively raise the next generation of media professionals in Nigeria.
According to the Publisher/Executive Director of NewsDirect, Prince Mathew Ibiyemi, "the initiative underscores the organization’s commitment to fostering talent and ensuring that future communicators are equipped with the foundational skills and modern resources necessary to excel in the rapidly evolving media landscape."
"This dedicated fund will also reinvent and equip the Press & Literary clubs in secondary schools across Nigeria, fostering the skills of future media professionals." He noted.
Ibiyemi who paid a visit recently to one of the participating secondary schools, LHS Schools, added that the initiative will also organize intensive trainings for already existing media professionsls.
A core component of the program is mentorship and hands-on teaching. Inkline by NewsDirect is calling on skilled professionals to volunteer their time to train students.
"We believe the future of credible journalism and creative communication lies in the hands of today's youths. Our N20 million commitment is an investment in that future. We are not just providing equipment; we are building capacity in public speaking, fact checking, mobile videography, AI literacy and creative writing, ensuring the next generation is prepared to lead," Ibiyemi said.
Inkline by NewsDirect is also actively seeking to partner with more secondary schools and organisations across the country to join the movement. Deserving schools or individuals who wish to nominate a school are encouraged to send an expression of interest to: