The African bloc of the National Committees of the International Press Institute (IPI) has agreed to host the first meeting in Nigeria.
Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, confirmed this at a meeting in Vienna, Austria over the weekend.
He had a conversation with Raheem Adedoyin, a member of the IPI Executive Board representing Nigeria and Africa, and Marton Gergely, the chairman of the IPI Executive Board, Scott Griffen.
The African bloc’s inaugural meeting will be held in Nigeria. We should lead as we always do, Idris said.
A regional network within the International Press Institute named the IPI African Bloc was established to address the needs of Africa’s distinct media and press freedom issues.
Prior to this, the Board had approved the creation of regional blocs of national committees to serve specific regional needs within the global IPI community.
READ ALSO: Federal Varsity Kontagora’s Prof. Haruna Is First VC of Federal Varsity.
The minister noted that Nigeria was able to host the 2018 IPI World Congress and General Assembly in Abuja, noting that the nation was “ready for another world-class hosting.”
Although there is no set release date for the event, Griffen disclosed that Adedoyin and the IPI Nigeria National Committee will work together to finalize the arrangements.
Gergely, the chairman of the IPI Executive Board, described Nigeria as “a leading light in democratic governance with a free press.”
The Nigeria National Committee’s “robust press freedom engagements” across the continent were praised by IPI Executive Director, Griffen.
The Minister brought up the IPI Nigeria National Committee’s long-standing request to the organization to support the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos during the meeting.
He explained to the IPI leadership that the Institute founded the NIJ in 1971 while Alhaji Lateef Jakande served on the institute’s board of directors, and that Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a former governor and IPI leader, is currently chairing its Governing Board.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply