The Impact Storytelling for Development Initiative, ISDI, has launched the ISDI Academy with its inaugural Future-Ready Communicators Bootcamp 1.0.
Held in Kano, the two-day bootcamp, themed “Stories That Matter. Skills for the Future,” brought together communicators from diverse professional backgrounds for practical sessions on development communication, storytelling, artificial intelligence, visual communication and strategic communication.
The launch marks a significant step in ISDI’s broader effort to strengthen communication as a tool for sustainable development across Africa by training 25 emerging communicators in practical skills for effective development communication.
The ISDI Academy is one of four institutional arms through which the organization delivers its mandate. The others are the Impact Story Hub, which focuses on evidence-based impact storytelling and documentation; ISDI Conversations, which provides platforms for dialogue, knowledge exchange and engagement; and ISDI Advisory, which offers strategic and development communication support to institutions and organizations.
Speaking at the opening of the bootcamp, Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah, founder and executive director of ISDI, described the Academy’s launch as a significant milestone for the organization.
He said the Academy was established to provide a practical learning platform where communicators can develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required to communicate development issues in an increasingly digital and rapidly changing environment.
The 25 participants in the inaugural cohort were selected from 227 applications, highlighting the level of interest in the Academy’s focus on future-ready communication.
Isah encouraged the participants to ask questions, challenge ideas, build relationships and learn from one another throughout the programme. He also expressed appreciation to the facilitators and partners who supported the initiative.
The bootcamp featured sessions on Communication for Sustainable Development; Finding and Building Powerful Stories; AI for Today’s Communicator; and Visual Communication: Capturing Stories through Mobile Video and Photography for Development Communication.
Facilitators included Dr Isah Nasidi of the Sahel Centre for Information, Media and Development Research; Dr Musa Abdullahi Sufi, CEO of SIDES Media; Nasiru Muhammad Auwal, founder and CEO of Drone Forge Africa and an AI strategist; Auwal Sani, ISDI programmes officer; and Sulaiman Abdullahi Danladi, founder of AD Visuals and Creative Corner Community.
The programme also featured a fireside conversation on “Purpose, Creativity and Leadership,” led by Alhassan Hamza Hussaini, advocacy and campaign officer at Plan International.
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Participants also took part in the Communicating for Impact Challenge, which provided an opportunity to apply lessons and skills from the bootcamp to real-world development issues.
Speaking during the programme, Dr Isah Nasidi said the bootcamp was helping to address gaps in communication training by bringing professionals and academics together. “What ISDI is doing is the right thing. It is trying to bridge the gap that has been disturbing us for years.”
Participants described the bootcamp as practical, engaging and different from conventional training programmes.
Moshood Isah, a communications professional, public affairs and policy analyst, said the balance between theory and practical learning made the programme stand out, describing the experience as “eye-opening, impactful, and humbling.”
Sadiya Abdulaziz Muhammad, a voice-over artist and storyteller, said the programme had transformed her approach to communication. “I came here and walked out of here as a different person.”
Habeeb Nabeellah Yakasai, a poet, said the practical sessions gave her greater clarity on the use of empathy in visual storytelling.
Aisha Habib Maigiwa, a journalist and head of the Corporate Communications Unit at the Kano Internal Revenue Service, said the programme helped her move beyond her previous understanding of communication concepts. She identified teamwork as one of her major takeaways from the Communicating for Impact Challenge.
The bootcamp concluded with the presentation of certificates to the 25 participants in recognition of their successful completion of the programme. Certificates were also presented to the facilitators in appreciation of their contributions.
In his closing remarks, Isah thanked the partners, facilitators, participants and others who contributed to the success of the inaugural bootcamp.
He called for continued collaboration among organizations, professionals and other stakeholders to strengthen development communication and support initiatives capable of creating meaningful and lasting impact in society.
“Our vision extends beyond training 25 participants. We are building a network of future-ready communicators who will strengthen the quality of development communication across Africa,” he said.
The inaugural bootcamp marks the beginning of the ISDI Academy’s capacity-building programmes as the organization seeks to build a growing community of ethical, innovative and impact-driven communicators equipped to produce evidence-based stories and contribute to positive social change.
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