The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has announced that Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead a high-profile delegation of dignitaries to its 2025 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for December 2–3 at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja.
The event, one of the most prominent gatherings of media leaders and policy influencers in the country, will bring together top government officials, senior journalists, media executives, academics, and representatives of key regulatory and security agencies.
Among the dignitaries expected, IPI said, are the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi; Registrar of Baze University and Mass Communication scholar, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi; former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu; and former State Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure.
Also expected is the Executive Director of IPI Global, Scott Grifen, alongside former Ogun State Governor and veteran journalist, Olusegun Osoba.
Presidents of leading media associations have been invited, including Maiden Alex-Ibru of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Eze Anaba of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Danlami Nmodu of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and Alhassan Yahya Abdul of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Heads of information agencies under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation will also be in attendance, such as the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu; Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jubrin Baba Ndace; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mohammed Bulama; Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Dembos; and Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali M. Ali.
Other prominent attendees include former Director of Information at the Office of the SGF, Haruna Imrana; former NIJ Provost, Gbemiga Ogunleye; IPI Global Board Member, Raheem Adedoyin; Bayero University scholar, Sule Yau Sule; and PRNigeria publisher, Yushau Shuaib.
Vice President Shettima will chair the opening session, while Minister Idris will deliver a keynote remark. A solidarity message from IPI headquarters in Vienna will be presented by Scott Grifen.
The conference will also feature the unveiling of IPI Nigeria’s Book of Infamy, performed by Professor Adeniyi, and a special honorary segment to be coordinated by IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed.
Two major papers will headline the conference’s discussions.
The first, “Addressing Media Repression in Nigeria: Safeguarding Press Freedom and Democratic Accountability,” will be delivered by Media Rights Agenda Executive Director, Edetaen Ojo. The panel session will be moderated by Funke Egbemode, with contributions from Lanre Arogundade of IPC, Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, CJID’s Busola Ajibola, and security expert Idayat Hassan.
The second paper, “Building Sustainable Media in Nigeria: Navigating Innovation, Credibility, and Revenue Challenges,” will be delivered by Isiaq Ajibola, co-founder of Media Trust Limited. A panel featuring Channels Television Vice-Chair Olusola Momoh, LEADERSHIP Editor-in-Chief Azu Ishiekwene, and MacArthur Foundation Nigeria Director Kole Shettima will discuss the topic. Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika will moderate the session.
The second day of the event will be devoted exclusively to IPI Nigeria members and will conclude with the induction of new members.
