Oasis Magazine, a leading online publication in Delta on Thursday presented a meritorious award to 18 deserving Nigerians who have excelled in their various fields of endeavours.
The awards which were presented by HRM Lucky Ochuko Ararile Awaeke 1 the Ovie of Umiahgwa-Abraka kingdom and Professor Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, were presented at Asaba, the Delta state capital.
Delivering address after the presentation, publisher of the magazine, Daniel Umukoro, said the 18 selected Nigerians had demonstrated exceptional patriotism, selfless service, and have achieved much for society in their various fields.
He said though awards presentation has been abused by many in different institutions, he said the recipients of his awards were deserving Nigerians who truly merited the recognitions.
Umukoro, who christened the awards as “Distinguished Nigerian Awards” urged the recipients to continue making significant contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria in their different fields.
The magazine publisher said the 2024 DISNA represents the magazine’s commitment to recognising and rewarding outstanding individuals and organizations which have made significant impact in society.
Chairman of the award ceremony and rector of Delta state polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Professor Biri, poured encomium on Umukoro over his ability to sustain the magazine following a decline in newspaper readership as a result of advent of digital platforms.
He said the magazine had been in existence over 10 years, adding that only few newspapers in Oasis Magazine category survive after 10 years of existence due to funding challenge and the explosion of digital media and livestreaming platforms.
He said despite these seeming challenges and the current financial crunch in Nigeria due to rise in cost of living, the Oasis Magazine has weathered the storm and is getting stronger on daily basis.
“Today, Umukoro is an excelling publisher. He has metamorphosed into the digital space because most newspapers have moved online. Though it is expensive to run newspapers in Nigeria, Umukoro has been deeply involved in publishing his paper and making wave online. His switch from the physical paper to online was swift and successful”, Prof. Biri said.
Guest lecturer, Prof. Jonathan Shetimi, director of centre for research and international programs, Delta state University, Abraka, dwelt on the advancement in technology which could affect media institutions and society generally if newspaper publishers fail to adapt to changes in the new technology.
Specifically, he analysed the growth of artificial intelligence and how it can affect business organizations either positively or negatively.
He said generative AI is making wave across the world, hence he called on everyone who wants to retain their jobs to quickly move in and be abreast with the working of AI so as not to lose their places on the new world of technology.
He said as generative AI advances there will be job losses as humans will be replaced by robots who would take over the jobs initially carried out by humans in organizations.
He said with the advancement in AI, machines do not need humans to work, noting that if humans fail to upgrade their knowledge, AI is capable is displacing man and take over their jobs.
To be able to cope with the digital age and AI driven work place, Shettimi said “we need to upscale our knowledge. A time will come that people who have no knowledge of IT may be phased out. The machines will take over their jobs. So, we must upscale our skills so as to meet up with trends in society.”
