Media
THE Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, held its 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference, ANEC, and Extraordinary Convention 2017 at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from September 20-24, 2017.
The theme of the conference, which was declared open by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the governor of Rivers State, was: “Balancing Professionalism, Advocacy and Business.”
At the end of the conference, the editors adopted a 10-point decision.
According to the communiqué issued and signed by Funke Egbemode, president and Victoria Ibanga, secretary general, that the media industry had been and still experiencing a crisis of recession, which presupposes that government would need to do more to ensure a conducive environment to encourage the media to flourish.
Beside, the editors agreed that was a for them that while retaining their professional excellence, they would also need to explore other revenue yielding ventures or business prospects to ensure that life after their editorial assignments was not nightmarish.
In the same vein, it was decided that editors in addition to their editorial functions, “should concern themselves with the business side of the media industry to ensure that their establishments thrive, and that their venture into business upon retirement will be knowledge-based and experience-enriched from their service years.”
Being mindful of those coming behind, the conference enjoined Mass Communication Departments and Journalism training institutions to include business courses in their curricular so as to prepare future editors for the business of the media industry.
Further, the editors agreed that the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, NPAN, and other media stakeholders should collaborate to ensure the setting up of newsprint production companies and resuscitation of the moribund one in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, to address the crisis of high cost of imported newsprints.
On the welfare retired journalists, the conference appealed to both the federal and state governments to pay outstanding gratuities and pensions of retired editors and other classes of retirees to make life after retirement less stressful.
Nevertheless, the NGE commended the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their efforts in curtailing activities of insurgents, militants and other groups threatening peace and security of the country.
“The Guild regrets the encroachment on its land in Guzape, Abuja and appreciates the promise by the FCT Minister to redress the situation.
“The Guild commends its members for their cooperation and support, which led to the successful amendment of its Constitution.
“The Guild expresses gratitude to the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for his magnanimity in hosting ANEC back to back successfully and applauds the significant level of infrastructure development recorded in the state under his watch,” the NGE communiqué said.
The opening ceremony of the four-day event was chaired by Ismaila Isa Funtua, while the chairman of the Conference itself was Segun Osoba, a former governor of Ogun State and a fellow of the NGE.
Azubuike Ishiekwene, the managing director/editor-in-chief of The Interview, delivered the keynote address while the Senate president and sister associations and unions like the NPAN, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, gave goodwill messages.
Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general and chief of Army Staff; Ebisintei Awudu, surveyor-general of the Federation; governors of Bayelsa, Bauchi and Oyo states; minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT; the JAMB Registrar; director general, Bureau of Public Enterprise, BPE, all made presentations at the executive session of the conference.
A high point of the programme was the extraordinary convention at which the Constitution of the Guild was amended.
– Sept 25, 2017 @ 12:06 GMT
Tags: ANEC 2017: Nigeria Editors Resolve to Balance Professionalism with Business Funke Egbemode journalists Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Victoria Ibanga
