Aviation reporters in Lagos were exposed to a one-day workshop on professionalism in aviation reporting by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS).
In her keynote speech, the managing director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, said the training was necessary because of the importance of education and personal development in the career journey to leadership.
Kuku, who was represented by the director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, emphasised the importance of acquiring the right skills for information dissemination, which will help to keep passengers and airport users informed on quality of services and other activities at the airport.
“Without continuous personal development, you will be rotten. You will be stuck. You will be stagnant. So, education is the fuel that drives every leader,” she said.
“The training is also to ensure that we keep our passengers informed. We need to let them know the safety measures we are taking and the infrastructure improvements we are carrying out”
Kuku said it is the Consumer Protection Directorate that empowers consumers to know their rights and that the training of aviation reporters will help to achieve this, adding that the training was also meant to foster better relationships and partnerships.
“The relationships we foster today will help us through thick and thin,” she said.
Staff of FAAN’s Consumer Protection Directorate were also participants at the workshop. Kuku said this would enable enhancement of “good customer service.”
“You need to understand the customer’s body language, the customer’s eye contact, and you have to be emotionally intelligent as well,” she said.
Earlier in his introductory remarks, the former director general of the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Mike Omeri, commended the FAAN boss for her vision and drive to reposition FAAN, stating that identifying the role that reporters should play in pursuing the new vision was one of the essence of the training.
The director at CIAPS and Professor of Strategy and Development, Prof. Anthony Kila, while introducing the programme, highlighted the importance of the media in the development of the aviation industry. He called for open mindedness and willingness to learn as certain things that are assumed to be known have changed and need improvement.
Resource persons at the programme included Dr. Soji Amusan, Pekun Sowole, principal partner, Pekun Sowole & Co, and Lekan Olufedurin, executive director, Media Career Development Network.
The programme was titled CIAPS Airport Reporters Workshop: Reporting Aviation & Airports. Topics were Airport Operations & Management: Understanding Stakeholders’ Responsibilities; Aviation Incident Reporting: Sensationalism and Sensibilities; Legal Perspectives In Aviation Reporting and Media & Airport Partnerships.
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