Retiring NAN Editor Tasks Journalists On Self-Development

Hajiya Ameena Sani, retiring Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has urged serving staff members to make sacrifices to improve their skills and secure a fulfilling life in retirement.

Sani made the call in Abuja at a send-forth ceremony organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), NAN Chapel, to celebrate her retirement after attaining the mandatory age of service.

She advised journalists to constantly upgrade themselves to remain relevant and productive in the agency.

“I read Performing Arts; I didn’t study journalism, but I loved the idea of telling the truth to society and to power,” she said.

Sani reminded journalists of their responsibility as citizens to speak truth to power through their reporting and dissemination of accurate information. “We have a responsibility as citizens of Nigeria; please let’s take it seriously.

We don’t have any other country, this is ours. “The job of ensuring that everyone does the right thing has been placed on the media. Don’t fail us, please,” she said. Reflecting on her career, Sani said her years in NAN were rewarding, noting that she had worked in several other sectors before returning to her passion; the media.

“I started in the 80s, with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), but we didn’t like the publicity and fame then, so we chose areas of the media with less glamour.

“We later moved to what I’d call greener pastures in the banking sector; covering mortgage, merchant and commercial banking, before veering into social development and foreign service. “Eventually, I returned to what makes me happy and comfortable, the media.”