The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) members on Tuesday arrived Lagos State to participate in the 6th annual conference of the body scheduled to hold between 5th and 6th October, 2022.
Penpushing reports that, the Publishers as at the time of filing this report have started arriving from their various base, both home and abroad, just as stage is adequately set and prepared for the event, to hold at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The members noticed to be in high spirits ahead of the ceremony were seen exchanging pleasantries and cracking jokes, on arrival in what could be described as another reunion, after the last edition held a year ago in Lagos State known as centre of excellence
Penpushing further reports that, the event will start on Wednesday October 5, as the publishers host media managers in both private and public sectors to a business lunch at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos by 12 noon.
The Publicity Secretary of the Guild, Remmy Nweke in a statement disclosed that luncheon was organised specifically to provide a relaxed atmosphere for networking and active engagement between members of online publishers and the media managers of corporate organisations, states and federal government, ministries, departments and agencies.
“All image and perception managers including chief press secretaries, commissioners for information, corporate communications employees of parastatals, ministries, agencies, financial institutions, manufacturing and service sectors; advertising and public relations practitioners are expected at the event.
“The luncheon highlights the seriousness and commitment of GOCOP to partner with major actors in the public and private sectors as well as international agencies,” the statement said.
Penpushing also reports that, the statement added that this year’s conference with the theme “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome”, will feature prominent stakeholders in the polity, civil society organisations, security, judiciary, media, among others.
The statement noted that this year’s event will be holding barely five months to the 2023 general elections and one week into the official commencement of campaigns by political parties, adding that the conference which is the 6th in the series will provide a roadmap for political actors and the various publics on the need to play by the rules and conform to acceptable electoral behaviour, .
Penpushing reports that, it is recalled that, Speakers at previous conferences include: Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto who delivered the 2019 lecture on “Economy, Security and National Development: The Way Forward”.
The statement pointed out that, in same vein, in 2021, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha was the key note speaker spoke on “Post COVID-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria , in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus.
“The choice of this year’s theme was informed by contemporary political, economic, security and socio-cultural challenges facing Nigeria ahead of a very critical general election. The conference will bring together many policy and decision makers from the private and public sectors as well as scholars, non-governmental organisations and the media”, the statement said.
Penpushing further reports that, the statement said the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) was mindful of the current state of the nation, especially in an election year, hence it chose to focus on the forthcoming elections.
The Lagos and Delta State governments alongside number of corporate organisations have declared interest to partner the Guild of Online Corporate Publishers (GOCOP) for the annual conference.
Penpushing also reports that, the chairman of the conference committee, Ken Ugbechie made this known in a statement, adding that other partners include: Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Chevron Nigeria Limited, Access Bank ,Globacom , Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Unity Bank and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The momentum has continued to rise for the sixth annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) as more corporate partners emerge for the event scheduled for Thursday, October 6 at esteemed Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja-Lagos”, Ugbechie added.
The chairman said the keynote speaker is the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while the chairman of the day would be the founder, Centre for Alternative Policy Perspectives and Strategy (CAPPS) Dr. Umar Ardo, while the panelists are: Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa(SAN) who is a lawyer-activist , former Inspector General of Police, Dr. Solomon Arase, and Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye Regional Director Ford Foundation West Africa.
Penpushing further reports that, before now, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) 2022 conference has announced earlier partnerships with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc.), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as the First Bank Plc, Nigeria Liquefied National Gas (NLNG) Limited, The Presidency, Wema Bank, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA)
“The Guild was established to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism in doing their jobs and our membership is a constellation of Editors and senior journalists who, having distinguished themselves in their various stations, ventured into online publishing which is both the present and future of journalism globally,” Ugbechie emphasised.
Penpushing also reports that, he stressed that the conference is therefore a fitting platform for the distillation and sharing of ideas from a carefully chosen array of resource persons cutting across the entire socio-political ecosystem, adding that the online publishers intends to use the opportunity of the conference to moderate the already tense political climate as well as to proffer solutions to current and anticipated challenges arising from the elections.
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