... From leading NAWOJ Lagos to seeking a place in the association’s national leadership, the former chapter chairperson is making a case centred on journalists’ welfare, professional development and institutional unity.
By Adeola Shittu
Leadership in a professional association is often measured not only by the positions its members occupy, but by the initiatives they introduce, the people they support and the institutions they leave behind. For Dr. Mrs Adeola Taibat Ekine, the ambition to become Deputy National Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) presents an opportunity to build on her years of service in the association and extend her leadership experience to the national level.
A former chairperson of NAWOJ Lagos State Chapter, Ekine is seeking a place in the association’s national leadership ahead of its National Delegates Conference and Elections scheduled for Kano from November 23 to 25, 2026.
Her candidacy comes with experience in journalism, public affairs, administration and gender advocacy. But beyond her professional credentials, the central question surrounding her ambition is what she hopes to contribute to an association whose members work across different media organisations, states and professional environments.
For Ekine, the priorities outlined in her platform include journalists’ welfare and safety, professional development, stronger institutional communication and greater opportunities for emerging female journalists.
A leadership journey rooted in NAWOJ Lagos
Ekine’s most visible leadership experience within the association came during her two consecutive terms as chairperson of NAWOJ Lagos from 2019 to 2025.
During that period, her administration pursued initiatives in welfare, capacity building and gender advocacy. Among the projects highlighted in her profile was the establishment of a workplace creche intended to support working mothers and help female journalists balance professional responsibilities with childcare.
The initiative speaks to an issue that frequently arises in discussions about women’s participation in the media: the difficulty of combining demanding newsroom schedules with family responsibilities. Access to appropriate childcare support can make a practical difference to working mothers, particularly in professions where assignments and deadlines may extend beyond conventional working hours.
Her tenure also included capacity-building programmes covering digital journalism, investigative reporting, professional ethics and skills development. Such areas have become increasingly important as journalists navigate changing technologies, evolving audience habits and the demands of responsible reporting.
Ekine’s record further includes advocacy against gender-based violence, child abuse and workplace discrimination, alongside welfare support for widows and vulnerable women journalists.
These initiatives form part of the experience she brings to her national ambition. Their wider significance, however, will depend on how such interventions can be sustained, evaluated and adapted to meet the needs of journalists beyond Lagos.
From chapter leadership to national responsibility
The move from state-level leadership to a national executive position requires more than familiarity with an association’s operations. It also calls for the ability to understand the different circumstances facing members across the country and build consensus among chapters with varying priorities.
Ekine’s professional responsibilities in public communication and administration form another part of her background.
She heads the Public Affairs Unit of the Lagos State Printing Corporation and also serves as an Information and Public Affairs Officer with the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy. In October 2025, she was appointed Special Adviser to the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
These roles have exposed her to public information management, media relations and institutional communication. Such experience could be relevant to the demands of national association leadership, particularly in coordinating communication between the national secretariat, zonal executives and state chapters.
In March 2024, Ekine also represented NAWOJ Lagos at the 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. The engagement added an international dimension to her work on issues affecting women and gender equality.
Her academic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a postgraduate diploma in Public Relations and Advertising from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. She also holds National Diploma and Higher National Diploma qualifications in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
An ambition built around welfare and professional growth
At the centre of Ekine’s proposed agenda is the welfare and safety of women journalists. Her platform calls for stronger advocacy on workplace safety, equal opportunities, protection against harassment and action against gender-based violence in media organisations.
These concerns touch on practical issues within the profession. Journalists may face difficult working conditions, safety risks in the field, unequal access to opportunities and pressures that affect their ability to carry out their duties. For women journalists, workplace harassment and gender-based discrimination can add further barriers to professional growth.
An effective national response would require sustained engagement with media employers, relevant institutions and professional bodies. It would also require clear channels through which members can raise concerns and seek support.
Ekine has also identified professional development as a priority, with a focus on mentorship, digital competence and leadership pathways for younger journalists.
As the media landscape changes, access to training in digital reporting, multimedia production, data-driven journalism and ethical practice can help journalists adapt to new demands. Mentorship can complement such training by connecting emerging practitioners with experienced professionals who can guide their career development.
The question for the national executive, should she be elected, would be how to translate these broad priorities into accessible programmes with measurable outcomes across the association’s state chapters.
Building unity and accountability
Another major element of Ekine’s platform is institutional governance. She has proposed stronger collaboration and transparent communication among the national secretariat, zonal executives and state chapters.
For an association operating across Nigeria’s diverse media environment, coordination is central to ensuring that members’ concerns are heard and that initiatives introduced at the national level reach the chapters they are intended to serve.
Stronger communication can also help clarify responsibilities, improve participation and promote accountability in the implementation of policies and programmes.
Ekine’s ambition therefore extends beyond occupying a national office. Her stated priorities place emphasis on the relationships and systems through which the association serves its members.
Whether those objectives can be achieved would depend on the support of other elected officers, the resources available to the association and the willingness of its different structures to work together.
The test ahead
NAWOJ’s National Delegates Conference and Elections in Kano will provide the platform for delegates to decide who should occupy the association’s national offices for the next term.
Ekine enters the contest with experience from chapter leadership, public affairs and gender advocacy. The Lagos chapter’s endorsement gives her candidacy formal backing from the state association she previously led, while her proposed agenda sets out the areas she hopes to prioritise at the national level.
Ultimately, the significance of her ambition will be measured not simply by the office she seeks, but by the clarity of her plans, her ability to build consensus and the results she can deliver if entrusted with national responsibility.
For women journalists, the issues at stake extend beyond an individual candidacy. They include access to professional opportunities, safer working environments, meaningful welfare support and an association capable of representing members across different stages of their careers.
As the election approaches, Ekine’s bid places these concerns within the wider conversation about the future direction of NAWOJ and the kind of leadership its delegates want for the association.
— Event Diary Lifestyle
