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Innovate, Create Contents To Serve People, NGE Tasks Editors
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has challenegd Editors in the media industry to refocus their energy towards creatiing compelling, engaging and impactful contents, in line with the needs of their audiences rather than just being satisfied with assigning, reviewing, rewriting and processing of words in the discharge of their duties.
The Editors said this at the 16th All Nigerian Editors’ Conference (ANEC 2020) held,last Thursday, via ZOOM.
In a communiwue issued at the end of the novel one-day event, and signed by its President, Mustapha Isah, and Secretary, Mary Atolagbe, the NGE said that innovation, creativity and resilience were needed now more than ever before to enable Editors meet the yawning aspirations of their readers and audiences, especially because of the trappings of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The communique reads, “Consequent upon the exigencies of the moment, the 16th annual conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, held via Zoom, with a view to deliberate on ways and means of sustaining operations of players in the media industry, in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic which has adversely impacted on their survival.
“At the end of the one-day conference, with the theme: ‘Media, People and Covid-19: How to Create Sustainability in the Digital Era’, Editors explored new ways to create contents, with aesthetics and overall values, that would help sustain media as a business in the country.
“The conference, chaired by a Fellow of the Guild and Chairman of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust newspapers, Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf, resolved as follows: Editors expressed the need for media professionals to rethink their roles from just assigning, reviewing, rewriting and processing of words to creating compelling, engaging and impactful contents, in line with the needs of their audiences.
“This has become necessary, if they are to be relevant and remain in business in the age of digitalisation and global Covid-19 pandemic.
“Editors should begin to think as marketing officers and develop well researched products that will respond to yearnings of the people across all segments of the economy at all times.
“That media business is about people at all levels, therefore practitioners should be less obsessed with government officials and focus on people-centre reporting in order to generate the needed resources for the sustainability of media industry.
“Media practitioners are advised to adopt creative use of new technologies to generate revenue, by employing programmers, data scientists, information and communications technology specialists, as part of the demands of the new normal.
“Regular capacity building interventions are necessary to ensure that the knowledge and content provided are relevant and applicable to the needs of the reading public.
“The conference emphasised that while there are several options for making money through digitalisation of media businesses, it is almost impossible to make a living without a large following. Therefore, efforts should be made to connect with the people, improve aspects of readers’ lives and obsess more with the audience through creative contents.
“While identifying huge potential in archiving photographs and offering of transcripts as reliable means of generating new streams of income, it canvassed for fresh air in the media space through the use of creative headlines.
“Recommendation was made for periodic engagement with media audiences and communities to find out about their habits and preferences in order to create engaging contents for the consumers.
“It called for institution of reward system for audiences, in return for loyalty and enduring relationship”, the communique added.
During the conference, the Editors remembered and observed a minute silence for members of the Guild who passed away in the last one year.
They are, a former NGE President, Malam Wada Maida; Mrs. Ronke Fajemirokun of BCOS, Ibadan; the General Manager, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, Abeokuta, Mr. Diji Akinhanmi; the Editor, New Telegraph on Saturday, Waheed Bakare; the Editor, Triumph Newspapers, Kano, Malam Musa Ahmed Tijjani; and a retired NTA staff, Abba Ado Gwarzo.
The Editors also expressed appreciation to its partners for the support in ensuring the success of the first-of-its-kind (virtual) conference of the Guild.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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