IPI Nigeria to hold conference on democracy, media freedom December 11

The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria says it will hold a conference to address some of the challenges affecting the practice of journalism.

In a statement on Sunday, Ahmed Shekarau, IPI Nigeria secretary, said the conference, to be held on November 11, is part of a three-part annual congress of the institute.

He said there would be an annual general meeting and election of new officials on December 12 and a dinner on the same night at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

The secretary said the conference will have “Democracy, media freedom, and the imperative of protecting Nigeria’s civic space” as its theme.

“The discourse is expected to provide members and other attendees the opportunity to brainstorm on some of the challenges affecting journalism and how practitioners can survive in challenging environments,” he said.

“The conference will also help journalists to interact with leaders of key security agencies and seek common solutions to incessant clashes between journalists and security agencies.

“The sessions are designed to afford all participants the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another how to survive as media practitioners in a challenging environment like ours.

“The deliberations will significantly enrich discussions and contribute to finding solutions for a better media environment in Nigeria.”

The IPI Nigeria secretary said the organisation will also hold a meeting where only members of the institute will be in attendance on December 12.

During this meeting, he added that the current executive committee led by Musikilu Mojeed will render accounts, while members will elect new officials. The three-year tenure of the institute’s current executive committee expires on December 16.

“To ensure a seamless transition, the Trustees of IPI Nigeria have constituted an electoral committee to oversee elections for executive positions, as stipulated in our constitution,” Shekarau said.

“Further details about the membership of the electoral committee and the guidelines for the election will be provided in the next few days.”

The IPI, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is a global network of media executives, editors, and leading journalists.

Since its establishment in 1950, it has consistently advocated for journalist rights and media freedom worldwide.