Shettima to Open NGE Editors’ Conference in Enugu as 500 Editors Gather

**• Onaiyekan, Osigwe, Yadudu, Okunna, others as speakers **

Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Thursday, September 24, declare open the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Enugu.

The two-day conference, the flagship annual gathering of the Guild, will take place at The Dome, International Conference Centre, Opara Square Road, Enugu, beginning at 2pm on Thursday and continuing on Friday, September 25.

According to a statement signed by the NGE President and General Secretary, Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, respectively, Shettima will address editors and other participants on the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” and 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 issues relating to democracy, elections, press freedom and national development.

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, will also address the conference.

More than 500 editors from across the country, as well as government officials, academics, civil society representatives and other stakeholders, are expected to attend the conference, which will examine 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 the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, would deliver the keynote address.

Other speakers 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, Martins Oloja, and newspaper columnist and activist, Owei Lakemfa, will speak on “Reporting Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, Professor Chinyere Okunna, will address the conference on “Neutrality, Professionalism and Election Security in Democratic Governance.”

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 Farooq A. Kperogi, Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, will examine the conference sub-theme on artificial intelligence and disinformation, focusing on detecting and debunking 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 NGE’s ANEC is supported by the Enugu State Government, UNESCO, Craneburg, NNPC, Zenith Bank, NCC and others.