Leading media houses in Nigeria and stakeholders, including civil society and non-media groups, will gather in Lagos on Monday to discuss an acceptable framework for media regulation in the country.
This move to deepen public trust by setting up a credible adjudicatory mechanism, is under the auspices of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the MacArthur Foundation.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Executive Secretary of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Feyi Smith, respected media guru and erstwhile governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, will preside at the roundtable.
Other prominent leaders from media practice, management, ownership, the academia, professionals,leaders of prominent media NGOs, the Bar, the legislature and the diplomatic corps are also expected.
The theme of the roundtable is ‘Deepening Media Professionalism through Co-regulation’, and the programme will be in two sessions.
“The first is on ‘Thoughts on Co-regulation through an Independent Ombudsman Framework’. The second session will consider ‘The Revised Draft of a New Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists’.
The event will hold at Protea Hotel, Ikeja Select, Alausa, Ikeja, at 10.00am.
Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, who is also the president of the NPAN and the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), will be supported by the president of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Mustapha Isah; the president of the NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo; the president of BON, Mr John Ugbe; the president of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Mr Guy Murray-Bruce; the president of IBAN and Mr Yakubu. C. Maikyau, SAN, president of the NBA.
Others are the publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr Sam Amuka; the publisher of ThisDay Newspapers and Arise TV, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Mr Ray Ekpu, former Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch; Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, publisher of the Guardian Newspapers; Mr Frank Aigbogun, publisher of Business Day, Ms Angela Emuwa, Chairman, Punch Newspapers; John Momoh, Chairman, Channels TV; Mr Lade Bonuola, former MD of the Guardian; Mr Lanre Idowu; CEO, Diamond Publications; Mr Gbenga Adefaye, GM, Vanguard; Mr Azu Ishiekwene, Editor-in-Chief, Leadership, Ms. Kadaria Ahmed, CEO, Daria Media and Radio Now and NPAN’s Mr Feyi Smith, among others.
