The General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Missions (Happy Family Centre), Bishop Charles Ighele, has called on Christian journalists to adapt to digital platforms, build personal influence and prepare early for life after active service in the media industry.
Ighele made the call at the 2026 annual training and retreat of the Christian Faith Reporters Association (CFRA) held in Lagos, themed “The Future of Faith Reporting in Nigeria: Threats, Opportunities and Relevance.”
He stated that social media had become a defining force in modern journalism and warned that failure to adapt could lead to professional decline.
“Social media has come, and it has become a major force. If you don’t position yourself well, you can become irrelevant,” Ighele said.
He advised journalists to understand the policies of their organisations while exploring digital initiatives responsibly. “You must understand what your employer allows. Are you permitted to run a podcast? Can you operate a personal counselling page? If there is a threat, you must learn to operate within it,” he added.
Ighele stressed that modern journalism is driven not only by institutional platforms but also by individual credibility and reach.
“Right now, it is about influence. You must make a name for yourself beyond what you are doing officially,” he said, urging reporters to remain innovative while maintaining professional and ethical boundaries.
Addressing career sustainability, he emphasised that retirement planning should begin at the start of one’s career.
“The day you start working is the day you should start preparing for retirement. The older you get, the less energy you may have to make money. Diversify and build something you can rely on after your career ends,” he stated.
In his keynote address, Commissioning Editor of Conversation Africa, Mr. Wale Fatade, urged journalists to prioritise punctuality, integrity and long-term professional discipline.
He encouraged reporters to broaden their knowledge base and professional networks. “Read very widely. Stay on top of your game. Network because no one succeeds in life alone. What you sow is what you will reap,” he said.
Fatade also advised young journalists to study indigenous and foreign languages such as Yoruba, Igbo and French, alongside subjects like History, Statistics and Mathematics, noting that African languages are becoming less visible in mainstream media.
On ethical conduct, he warned against compromise in reportage, drawing lessons from the biblical account of Samuel.
“When your journalism career is over, can you say you have not collected money to write or change a story? If you do not publish the truth, others will,” he cautioned.
He further addressed the challenge of bias in reporting, recalling his freelance experience with the BBC, which conducts annual tests to identify personal prejudices among reporters.
According to him, journalists must learn to manage their biases carefully and avoid sensationalism, stressing that ethical conduct speaks louder than academic credentials.
Fatade also harped on the importance of early preparation for life after retirement. “You should be able to live well more than twenty years after retirement based on your plan,” he said.
He disclosed that part of his own preparation involved establishing a Yoruba community radio station in Osun State to support his family after active service.
In another presentation, media consultant and Project Manager at the International Press Centre, Mr. Sanmi Falobi, urged journalists to embrace deliberate goal-setting as a pathway to sustainable careers.
Falobi led participants through practical sessions on identifying career challenges and developing measurable action plans. “You must celebrate your strengths and address your weaknesses frontally,” he advised, adding that self-evaluation and continuous improvement were necessary in the evolving media landscape.
CFRA President, Adeola Ogunlade, described the retreat as “a moment of reflection, renewal, and recommitment,” stressing that faith reporting influences national unity, public trust and the moral direction of society.
“The future of Christian faith reporting will be shaped by how well we respond to emerging threats: misinformation, economic pressure, digital disruption, and declining trust,” Ogunlade said.
The retreat featured lectures, discussions and strategy sessions aimed at equipping Christian journalists to remain ethical, credible and relevant, while positioning the association as a trusted voice in Nigeria’s media space.