By Chiamaka Edokwe
In a strategic effort to strengthen digital communication and enhance public engagement, information officers in Anambra State have commenced a capacity building training on social media tools, with a strong focus on video content creation.
The training, designed to accommodate the 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 information 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, charged information 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 charged.
Dr. Mefor emphasized 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 said.
The Commissioner stressed that the training was not designed for his benefit but for the personal and professional growth of information officers.
“Do not think you are doing this for me as Commissioner. You are doing this for yourself,” he stressed.
Sharing his personal experience, Dr. Mefor said that his appointment by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo was influenced by his consistent social media visibility and quality writing, despite not having a prior personal relationship with the Governor.
“The Governor did not know me personally, but he saw my work. Your visibility and what you put out there can open doors,” he noted.
He, therefore, encouraged information officers to go beyond routine reports and embrace video formats such as vox pops and other visual storytelling tools that make them both seen and heard.
The Supervising Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Pharm Dr.Oby Uchebo, in her remarks urged participants to immediately apply the knowledge gained from the training by actively 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 urged.
She reaffirmed her commitment to working closely with the commissioner to reposition the ministry for greater visibility and expressed concern over the low level of engagement by information officers on the ministry’s digital platforms.
“I am not an information officer, but once I see our links, I like, comment and share them on all my social media platforms. As information officers, you should do even more to bring this ministry to the spotlight,” she said.
A major highlight of the training was the technical session facilitated by Dr Chinwe Chuka, a veteran journalist with over two decades of professional experience. She exposed participants to various video storytelling formats, including vox pops, fillers, features and documentaries, while offering practical lessons on scriptwriting, content structuring and presentation across different media formats.
“Strive to be the best you can be. Excellence in this profession is what brings fulfillment,” she encouraged.
In a hands-on practical session, an Information Officer, Obianuju Umeh, took participants through a step-by-step demonstration on the use of the CapCut application for editing video content. The practical exercise equipped officers with real time editing skills aimed at improving the quality and professionalism of their social media video outputs.
In his closing remarks, the Ag. Director of the Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel U Emmanuel, commended the participants for their active involvement throughout the training and called for collective commitment to sustaining the ministry’s visibility.
“All hands must be on deck if we must make this Ministry visible and relevant in the digital space,” he charged.
The Ministry’s digital content workflow was also highlighted, with Mr. Joseph Obunse identified as the officer responsible for coordinating video content production for the ministry, giving final touch-ups on video materials before they are approved and published on the ministry’s official platforms.
The capacity building programme will continue in subsequent batches until all information officers in Anambra State are fully equipped with modern digital storytelling skills to effectively communicate government policies, programmes and achievements.
Chiamaka is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
