By Chinaza Osigwe
Information officers in Anambra State have commenced a capacity-building training on social media tools with a focus on video content creation, as part of efforts to strengthen digital communication and enhance public engagement.The training, designed for over 185 information officers in the state, is being conducted in batches. The first phase, held at the Situation Room of the Ministry of Information, featured 36 officers drawn from Groups 1, 2 and 3, with each group comprising 12 participants.In his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, urged officers to embrace continuous self-development, describing professional growth as a journey that requires discipline and persistence.“This training is a journey. Keep writing, rewriting, rewriting. Do not get tired,” he said.Dr Mefor emphasised the importance of quality writing, noting that poorly written reports undermine professionalism and create unnecessary workload for editors.“When the Chief Editor sees your write-up, she should have confidence that it is good for public consumption. Some reports are so badly written that the editor has to rewrite everything and that is not fair,” he added.He stressed that the training was for the personal and professional development of information officers and encouraged them to embrace video formats such as vox pops and other visual storytelling tools.The Supervising Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Pharm Dr Oby Uchebo, urged participants to apply the knowledge gained by sourcing and reporting stories from their localities and daily engagements.“You don’t have to wait until you see the governor before you write stories. Tell the stories around you, what you encounter every day,” she said.She also expressed concern over low engagement by officers on the ministry’s digital platforms and encouraged them to actively promote official content.A technical session facilitated by veteran journalist Dr Chinwe Chuka exposed participants to video storytelling formats including vox pops, fillers, features and documentaries, with practical lessons on scriptwriting and content structuring.“Strive to be the best you can be. Excellence in this profession is what brings fulfillment,” she advised.During a practical session, Information Officer Obianuju Umeh demonstrated the use of the CapCut application for editing video content, equipping participants with hands-on skills to improve the quality of their social media outputs.In his closing remarks, the Acting Director of the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel U Emmanuel, commended participants for their active involvement and called for collective commitment to sustaining the ministry’s visibility.He noted that Mr Joseph Obunse coordinates video content production for the ministry, providing final touch-ups before publication on official platforms.The capacity-building programme will continue in subsequent batches until all information officers in the state are equipped with modern digital storytelling skills to effectively communicate government policies and programmes.
