Institute sets for 2018 world congress

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has set up a secretariat and inaugurated a steering committee in readiness for the IPI World Congress billed for Abuja next year. At a special meeting hosted by Daily Trust in Abuja on Thursday, stakeholders agreed that IPI Nigeria will open up the event to the participation of all […]

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has set up a secretariat and inaugurated a steering committee in readiness for the IPI World Congress billed for Abuja next year.

At a special meeting hosted by Daily Trust in Abuja on Thursday, stakeholders agreed that IPI Nigeria will open up the event to the participation of all media organisations in the country.

According to the conveners of the meeting, the Steering Committee is to be headed by the President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mr. Nduka Obaigbena and assisted by two deputies – Malam Kabiru Yusuf, the Chairman of Media Trust Limited and Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President.

The committee also include three other members, namely: Raheem Adedoyin, Secretary of IPI Nigeria and Head of the Secretariat, Mrs Funke Egbemode, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and a representative of the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

In his acceptance speech as Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mr Obaigbena described the IPI World Congress in Abuja which is billed to hold by June 2018 as “the most important media event in our country in the last 50 years."

He called on Nigerians to support IPI Nigeria in hosting the event, which according to him, is a “public-private partnership."

“We must do everything to make our country great. We must not under-estimate or under-rate the greatness of our country,” the NPAN President said.

The Publisher of Vanguard newspaper, Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu also added that the hosting of IPI World Congress “is an awesome task which calls for the support of all Nigerians. It means a lot to the government and people of Nigeria.”

Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of IPI Nigeria Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf warned about the scepticism and image dissonance concerning Nigeria which, if not handled very well may torpedo the country’s hosting of the event.

He therefore charged the newly-established secretariat to be ready to respond to international enquiries particularly with regards to the issues of safety.

Other members of the Planning Committee in attendance at the meeting include a veteran of the IPI, Malam Ismaila Isa, Malam Wada Maida, Mr Nnamdi Njemenze of the Nigeria Press Council, Mr Emma Agu and Mr. Timothy Oyedeji who represented the Minister of Information.