The 2018 All Nigeria Editors’ Conference billed for Asaba, Delta State from October 10 to 14 will be headlined by many notable speakers among whom is the host Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and senior member of Open Society for Justice Initiative, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, who will be the keynote speaker of the conference.
The theme of this year’s conference is: “Credible Election, Sustainable Democracy and the Nigerian Media.”
A statement signed by the Chairman, Planning Committee of the conference, Ken Ugbechie, said the theme was chosen to reflect the prevailing political reality in the country.
The President of the Guild, Funke Egbemode, explained the choice of the theme, stressing that it was informed by an urgent and compelling responsibility of the Guild to plot a roadmap to 2019 as a watchdog with a duty to provide unbiased, fair and objective coverage of the elections, especially in the face of a monetized electoral system.
Egbemode said: “We believe that the media also has a role to play in ensuring sustainability of the country’s democracy in view of the key role it plays in information dissemination and moulding of public opinion.
“It is, therefore, imperative that the media is properly positioned not only to understand the issues involved in organising a credible election, but to advance a true democratic culture in the manner it reports issues of politics and governance.”
Other speakers include governors, senior media executives, security experts, representative of Google, media specialists in digital journalism and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The All Nigerian Editors Conference is the largest gathering of Nigerian Editors (apart from the Biennial Convention).
It was initiated in 2004 in Ada, Osun State.
Since then, it has been held in different parts of the country.
It brings together not less than 400 editors and other media professionals from all over the country and beyond to focus on a designated national issue that affects the future and wellbeing of our country.
The conference also attracts foreign speakers and editors from organizations such as the Global Editors Network, West African Editors Forum, African Editors Forum, World Editors Forum and World Association of Newspapers.