Matilda Omonaiye/
Partners for the eighth annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) have been announced, with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Emadeb Group, and Dangote Group taking the lead for the event scheduled for Thursday, October 3, 2024, at the Reverton Hotel, GRA, Lokoja, Kogi State.
Chairman of the 2024 Conference Planning Committee, Danlami Nmodu, mni, also highlighted other partners including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Setraco Nigeria Limited, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), according to a statement by GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Sir Remmy Nweke.
The theme for the 2024 conference, “Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit, and Transitioning to a Digital Economy,” will be addressed by keynote speaker, former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke. The conference will commence at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Other partners for the 2024 conference include the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Fidelity Bank Plc, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc (STI), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).
A business luncheon with GOCOP partners is also slated for Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at the same venue.
The event will be chaired by Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, Alhaji Yusuf Mamman, with special guest speakers including former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Retd), and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida.
Panel discussions will feature Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, a Professor of Political Science at the Federal University Lokoja, and veteran broadcaster Ms. Debrah M. Ogazuma.
Nmodu also reflected on past conferences, recalling that the 2023 GOCOP conference was chaired by JAMB Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Ishaq Olarenwaju Oloyede, with the keynote address delivered by Nigeria’s first Professor of Capital Market, Prof. Uchenna Joseph Uwaleke.
Previous speakers at the annual event have included prominent figures such as Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, who delivered the 2019 lecture on “Economy, Security, and National Development: The Way Forward.”
In 2021, Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, spoke on “Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.” The 2022 keynote was delivered by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who spoke on “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for a Credible Outcome.”
GOCOP was founded to ensure that online publishers adhere to the core principles of journalism. Its membership is composed of distinguished editors and senior journalists, who have made their mark in both print and electronic media before venturing into online publishing, widely regarded as the future of global journalism.
The Guild currently has over 104 corporate publishers as members.
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