IPI Nigeria Elects New Executives With Mojeed, Shekarau Returned As President, Secretary
The Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed and the CEO of the Media Trust Group, Ahmed I. Shekarau, have been re-elected President and Secretary respectively of the Nigerian chapter of International Press Institute (IPI).
Mojeed, Shekarau and four other officials who were returned unopposed and sworn in on Thursday, December 12, 2024, will direct the affairs of the Nigerian affiliate of the global media body for the next three years.
This was contained in a statement by a member of the global executive board of the IPI, Raheem Adedoyin, who said that other members elected into the executive committee of IPI Nigeria include Fidelis Mbah of Al Jazeera Television as deputy president, Rafatu Salami of Voice of Nigeria as Treasurer, Yomi Adeboye of Herald Newspaper as Assistant Secretary and Tobi Soniyi of Arise News as Legal Adviser.
Speaking shortly after the inauguration of the new executive committee members of the IPI, Nigeria, its president, Mr. Mojeed promised an inclusive administration, and solicited the support and commitment of members to enable his team achieve the organisation’s set objectives of enhancing the Nigerian media operating environment.
The election of the executive committee members was preceded by the IPI’s annual general meeting (AGM) where the Mojeed-led executives rendered account of their three-year stewardship and updated members on the financial state of the body.
Some sections of the constitution of the IPI Nigeria, were also amended during the AGM.
One of thje highpoints of the event was the arrival of former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, a prominent member of the IPI, who praised IPI Nigeria members for their commitment to press freedom, journalists’ rights and independent journalism.
Other prominent journalists who attended the AGM included a former Editor-In-Chief of Tribune Newspapers (who chaired the forum), Folu Olamiti; former presidential spokesperson and ex-President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mallam Garba Shehu; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Oluwafisan Bankale and the Executive Director of the organisation, Dayo Aiyetan.
The list of other dignitaries that attended the congress included; Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika of the University of Lagos; Sule Yau Sule of Bayero University, Kano; Funke Egbemode, former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors; Ken Ugbechie, publisher of Political Economist; Lawal Sabo Ibrahim, former managing director of The Triumph newspapers; Christopher Isiguzo, former president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); Lanre Arogundade, executive director of the International Press Centre; Zainab Suleiman Okino, chair of the editorial board of Blueprint Newspapers; and Hameed Bello, chief operating officer of Peoples Daily newspapers.
Earlier on Wednesday, IPI Nigeria hosted a well attended conference with the theme: “Democracy, Media Freedom and the Imperative of Protecting the Nigerian Civic Space,” during which the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who chaired the conference’s opening day session, said press freedom exists in Nigeria.
The keynote paper was delivered by Professor Tony Iredia, in which he disagreed with the minister, arguing that press freedom does not exist in Nigeria.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, gave a presentation on “Dissecting the Frosty Relationship Between the Nigerian Media and Security Agencies” while the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, spoke on “How the Media and Journalists can Partner Anti-corruption Agencies in the Fight Against Corruption.”
In the same vein, former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, addressed participants on the topic; “Government Vs Media: How to Reduce Tension, Enhance Mutual Understanding, and Avoid Censorship”.
The three-part event concluded on the night of 12th December with a dinner for the organisation’s members, partners, and supporters.
The International Press Institute (IPI), with headquarters in Vienna, Austria, is a global network of media executives, editors, and leading journalists. Since its establishment in 1950, it has consistently advocated for journalists’ rights and media freedom worldwide.
IPI Nigeria is the Nigerian branch of IPI Global and is totally committed to credible and independent journalism, media freedom, freedom of speech and the free flow of news and information in Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s biggest economy.
