News
AI in the Newsroom: Tool, Not Talent
By: BABS DARAMOLA
I watched in disbelief today as one of Nigeria’s top national TV stations used AI to voice a news report. Let me be clear: AI has its place in journalism. It can help gather data, fact-check, and streamline production. But reading the news? Delivering it to the public? That’s a strp too far. Presentation must remain human work.
Broadcast journalism is more than a recitation of facts; it is a craft built on experience, judgment, and empathy. Great stations pride themselves on the caliber of their reporters; their pedigree, their training, and their ability to probe beyond the script. These are professionals who have spent years in the field, enduring challenges, asking the hard questions, and ensuring that the public receives information that is accurate, contextualized, and ethically presented. AI can never replicate this.
The danger of using AI to replace human reporters is not hypothetical; it is immediate and tangible. Machines lack intuition, moral judgment, and the ability to read between the lines. They cannot adjust tone to convey urgency, nuance, or empathy. They cannot interview sources in ways that build trust, challenge authority, or uncover truths hidden beneath layers of bureaucracy. They cannot, in short, report with the credibility and humanity that audiences deserve.
Globally, respected outlets -BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters- have integrated AI as a supporting tool, never as a replacement for journalists. These organizations recognize that technology can enhance reporting but cannot supplant it. Audiences respond to human storytellers because humans bring context, understanding, and accountability. Replacing journalists with algorithms risks turning news into sterile, impersonal content, and diminishes public trust at a time when credible information is most needed.
There is also a deeper concern for the next generation of journalists. Broadcast journalism curricula are carefully designed to teach ethics, storytelling, and professional judgment. By sidelining practitioners in favor of AI, media organizations risk creating a generation of journalists for whom the craft is theoretical rather than practical; a generation unprepared to navigate the moral and practical complexities of reporting.
Beyond education, this trend threatens the very ethos of journalism. Reporting is not merely about speed or efficiency; it is about truth, accountability, and service to the public. Lazy shortcuts erode these principles. The allure of AI must not blind us to the foundational role that human reporters play in democracy and civil society.
Using AI responsibly is innovation. Using it to replace reporters is laziness disguised as progress. The stations involved in this cheap practice must ask itself: are we committed to serving the public with integrity, or are we willing to cheapen our journalism for convenience?
Reporting is human. Let us ensure it remains so.
Babs Daramola is a Lagos-based broadcast journalist with over 35 years of experience on radio and TV.
News
IGP Disu Launches Nigeria Police Force Vigilant App, for Tracking Crimes
” The police cannot be everywhere at the same time, but through technology and partnership with the citizens, we can significantly expand our capability to prevent and respond to crimes,” he noted.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has launched the Nigeria Police Force Vigilant App as part of efforts to strengthen public engagement, internal communication and the fight against increasingly sophisticated crimes.
Disu also unveiled MTN Closed User Group (CUG) Network for strengthening communication among police commands, formations, divisions and specialised units nationwide.
Speaking during the launch ceremony in Abuja, IGP Disu said that the changing nature of crime and the speed at which information travels have made it necessary for the police to embrace technology.
The policing environment is changing rapidly. Crime is becoming more sophisticated. Information moves faster, and citizens increasingly expect public institutions to be accessible and respond to technology,”said Disu.
He explained that the Vigilant App was designed to improve communication between the police and members of the public by enhancing information sharing and citizen engagement.
The IGP urged Nigerians to use the platform responsibly to report suspicious activities, provide useful information and seek assistance when necessary .
Disu also charged officers managing the platform to operate with professionalism and integrity, stressing that information received through the system must be handled responsibly, investigated diligently and protected appropriately.
“The police cannot be everywhere at the same time, but through technology and partnership with the citizens, we can significantly expand our capability to prevent and respond to crimes,” he noted.
Disu observed that effective communication often determines the success of operations, emergency responses and investigations.
“In policing, information delayed can be information lost,” the IGP declared.
News
Edo Influential Politician, Daniel Orbih, dies at 64 •Obaseki mourns
Obaseki said Orbih’s contributions to Nigerian politics and the PDP remained significant, particularly during his years of service in Edo.
•Chief Daniel Osi Orbih
Chief Daniel Osi Orbih, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is dead, aged 64.
Orbih, known by his traditional title, the Kulukulu 1 of Ogoni Land and Oduma of Uzairue, reportedly died on Monday, 31st August 2026.
His death was confirmed in a statement issued by his family and signed by Francis Udukhomoi Orbih, Esq., on behalf of the Orbih family.
Orbih was born on the 27th of October, 1961, to Chief and Mrs M.C.K. Orbih of Ogbona in Etsako Central Local Government.
He ventured into politics in 1999, and was the deputy governorship candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP) in Edo State, describing Orbih as a prominent figure and influential voice in Edo politics.
Condolences
Former governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki, lamented that Orbih ‘s death represents a significant loss to Edo.
Obaseki said Orbih’s contributions to Nigerian politics and the PDP remained significant, particularly during his years of service in Edo.
“For many years, he provided leadership to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State as its State Chairman and subsequently served as the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South.
“Through these roles, he contributed significantly to the development of the party in the Edo State and Nigeria, ” he said.
He emphasised that the former PDP chairman’s death represented a significant loss to Edo State and Nigeria, while commiserating with his family, friends and political associates.
News
Death Toll in Nepal Floods Exceed 1,000
The death toll from catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-China border has surged past 1,000, authorities said Tuesday, as rescue teams continued searching through mud, debris and damaged hydropower tunnels nearly a week after the disaster.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported 987 deaths in the country, with Chinese state media confirming 16 fatalities in Tibet, bringing the combined toll to more than 1,000. Around 3,900 people remain missing in Nepal, including 583 foreign nationals, while China has reported 546 missing.
The floods were triggered on August 26 by a glacial collapse near the border that sent a massive surge of water, ice, rock and debris racing down the Trishuli and Bhotekoshi river systems. Entire settlements were wiped out, roads and bridges destroyed, and multiple hydropower projects heavily damaged.
Hundreds of workers are still feared trapped in mud-filled tunnels at hydropower sites. Joint teams of Nepalese, Chinese, Indian and other international rescuers have so far pulled out more than 270 people from those sites, while overall more than 11,800 people have been rescued across the affected districts.
Chitwan district has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, followed by Nawalparasi. Many victims remain unidentified, and authorities have begun mass burials while collecting DNA samples to help families identify the dead. Fresh flood alerts were also issued in several districts amid ongoing intermittent rain.
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