All Nigeria Media Editors are expected to converge on Asaba, capital of Delta State from October 10 to 14, for a Conference on credible election, sustainable democracy and the Nigerian media, against the background of the 2019 general elections in the country.
A statement by the Chairman of Planning Committee of the conference, Ken Ugbechie, confirmed that the theme of the conference has been chosen to reflect the prevailing political reality in the country.
According to the statement, the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mrs Funke Egbemode, emphasised the need for the editors to plot a roadmap to 2019 as a watchdog with a duty to provide unbiased, fair and objective coverage of the elections especially in the face of a monetized electoral system.
“We believe that the media also has a role to play in ensuring sustainability of the country’s democracy in view of the key role it plays in information dissemination and moulding of public opinion. It is, therefore, imperative that the media is properly positioned not only to understand the issues involved in organising a credible election, but to advance a true democratic culture in the manner it reports issues of politics and governance”, the statement said.
The host Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission and senior member of Open Society for Justice Initiative, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, are expected to deliver keynote addresses.
Other speakers, according to the statement, include governors, senior media executives, security experts, representative of Google, media specialists in digital journalism, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu, etcetera.
It said that All Nigerian Editors Conference is the largest gathering of Nigerian Editors, apart from the Biennial Convention, and it was initiated in 2004 at Ada, in Osun State. Since then, it has been held
in different parts of the country. It brings together not less than 400 editors and other media professionals from all over the country and beyond to focus on a designated national issue that affects the future and wellbeing of our country.
The conference also attracts foreign speakers and editors from organizations such as the Global Editors Network (GEN), West African Editors Forum (WAEF), the African Editors Forum (TAEF), the World Editors Forum (WEF) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
