Shettima declares editors’ confab open in Enugu today

•Cardinal Onaiyekan, Osigwe, Yadudu, Okunna, Kperogi, Oloja, Lakemfa to speak at parley

Vice President Kashim Shettima will declare open the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference, ANEC, of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, in Enugu today.

The two-day conference, which is the flagship annual gathering of the Guild, will hold at The Dome, International Conference Centre, Opara Square Road, Enugu, beginning at 2p.m and continue on Friday, September 25.

In a statement by the President and General Secretary of the NGE, Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, respectively, the Guild said Shettima would address editors and other participants on the conference theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” as well as the sub-theme, “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”

The Vice President is also expected to speak on other issues relating to democracy, elections, press freedom and national development.

The statement said Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, would also address the conference.

More than 500 editors from across the country, alongside government officials, academics, civil society representatives and other stakeholders, are expected to attend the conference, which will focus on critical national and global issues with significant social, economic and political implications.

The Guild said His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, would chair the conference, while former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, would deliver the keynote address.

Other speakers lined up for the conference include Professor Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, who will speak on “Public Trust, Electoral Justice and Democratic Stability.”

The immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, will address the editors on “Election Petitions in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Courts.”

On the second day, respected journalist, public speaker and former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Newspapers, Mr. Martins Oloja, as well as newspaper columnist and activist, Owei Lakemfa, will speak on “Reporting Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, Professor Chinyere Okunna, will address the conference on “Neutrality, Professionalism and Election Security in Democratic Governance,” while the founder and Chief Medical Director of Save A Life Hospital, Port Harcourt, Dr. Richard Okoye, will speak on “The Human Side of Journalism: Managing Stress, Deadlines and Personal Wellbeing.”

Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, Farooq A. Kperogi, will examine the conference sub-theme on artificial intelligence and disinformation, focusing on the detection and debunking of false information before, during and after elections.

The second day will also feature an executive session at 12:30pm, during which editors will engage governors, political party leaders and heads of government agencies and parastatals on issues of national importance.

According to the Guild, the conference will provide a platform for editors and other stakeholders to examine practical pathways for strengthening democratic governance, promoting national development and advancing nation-building through responsible and responsive journalism.

The NGE said the gathering would also enable media leaders to interrogate the challenges confronting democracy and examine the role of the media in safeguarding credible elections, rebuilding public trust and strengthening democratic values.

The statement said the the Guild ANEC is supported by Enugu State Government, UNESCO, Craneburg, NNPC, Zenith Bank, NCC and others. N72, 000, unveils 3,267 classrooms,