15th August, 2013
More than 300 Nigerian editors are expected to gather in Asaba, capital of Delta state from 21 August to 24 August for the 9th All Nigerian Editors’ Conference to discuss ways Nigeria can reduce dependence on crude oil.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) said that the four-day conference would have the theme: “Nigeria: Beyond Oil: Role of the Editor’’.
The statement issued in Lagos was signed by the Secretary of the guild, Mr Isaac Ighure.
The NGE said that the conference would be chaired by a veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun, Chief Segun Osoba.
According to the NGE, business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, will deliver the keynote address while the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, will be the special guest.
It said that Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, would be the special guest of honour, while the host governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and other governors would participate in discussing how the nation could shed its prolonged dependence on oil.
According to the NGE, the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, will speak on “The Value Chain Roadmap’’ while his Tourism counterpart, Chief Edem Duke, will talk on “Oil Exhaustible, Tourism Inexhaustible”.
The guild said that Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, and Prof. Sylvester Monye, Special Adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, would deliver papers on “Financial Institutions in a Non-Oil Economy’’ and “Opportunities in Non-Oil Nigeria’’, respectively.
It said that moderators of segments would be the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr Eugene Juwah, and Mr Onyema Ugochukwu, a former Editor of the Daily Times.
The guild said that it would set aside the last day of the conference for discussions on “Life After The Chair: The Editors’ Colloquium’’.
The NGE said that the session would be facilitated by Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Daily Trust, and chaired by Mr Ted Iwere, another notable journalist.
It said that the conference would be rounded off with an investiture of new fellows and induction of new members of the guild at a gala night to be organised by the Delta Government at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba.