The 2019 World Congress of the International Press Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, elect Nigeria and Kenya into its board

By Qasim Akinreti, Geneva, Switzerland

NIGERIAN  and Kenyan candidates have been elected into the International Press Institute, IPI, board at its 2019 World Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.

Wada Maida, publisher People’s Daily Newspaper and chairman, Board of Management, News Agency Of Nigeria, NAN, and Stephen  Gitagama, Group CEO, Nation Media Group, Kenya, were elected to  represent, Africa  in the IPI Board.

Specifically, Maida replaced Kabiru Yusuf, managing director of managing director of the Daily Trust Newspaper and president of IPI, Nigeria.

The general assembly Of IPI also ratified  the election of Maria Ressa of Rappler.com into the new board and  nine Journalists were re-elected from Slovakia, Norway, South Korea, United Kingdom,Turkey, Germany Japan, Spain and Switzerland into the board.

Ismail Isa, chairman, board of management, Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Yusuf had worked tirelessly to rally support for the Nigerian candidate ahead of the opening ceremony and General Assembly of IPI at the UN headquarters in Geneva.

The new management board of IPI are expected to work assiduously towards the goal of press freedom and add values to the ideals of the global media organisation in their countries and the collective across the world.

The general assembly approved the entry of  Tanzania and Czech Republic  into IPI community and equally accepted resolutions on press freedom in Egypt as well as  the abuse on Espionage Act over Wikileaks case. It condemned in strong terms all charges under the Espionage Act against Julian Assange.

The general assembly agreed to issue statements on the freedom of the press and journalists harassment as well as intimidation of those in Cameroon and Sudan.

It observed a minute silence in honour of two IPI heroes who died recently in South Africa and South Korea.  They are Raymond Louw from South Africa and S-Whan Hyon who died in South Korea.

The Nigerian participants to the 2019 IPI world Congress was led  by Yusuf.

Others  include Folu Olamiti , former editor, Nigerian Tribune Newspapers  and media  consultant,  Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC,  Muhammed Idris, publisher, Blue Print Newspapers, Steve Ayorinde, former Lagos state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Qasim Akinreti, chairman, Nigeria Union Of Journalists, Lagos state Council, Muhammed Mustapha Shehu, publisher, The Politico Magazine, Eniola Bello, managing director, THISDAY newspapers and Osawaru Okunzuwa, managing director, Community Media based in Benin, Edo state.

IPI world congress 2019 was supported by over 20 media organisations including European Broadcasting Union, EBU Channels Television, Nigeria, and Aljazeera Mesia Network, among others.

Ten presentations were made based on the theme of the Congress: “Building Alliances Fir Independent Media“.

Two  awards on World Press Freedom Hero 2019 and Free Media Pioneer Award  2019 were presented to Cyril Almeida, columist and assistant editor, -Dawn Pakistan and Lina Attalah, co-founder and editor-in-chief, Mada Masr, Egypt.