Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has accepted to host the maiden meeting of the African bloc of the National Committees of the International Press Institute (IPI).

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the commitment yesterday after he met the Chairman of the IPI Executive Board, Mr. Marton Gergely, the IPI Executive Director, Mr. Scott Griffen, and IPI Executive Board Member representing Nigeria and Africa, Mr. Raheem Adedoyin in Vienna, Austria.

“Nigeria agrees to host the maiden meeting of the African bloc. It is a great honour for us to lead as we always do.” Idris said in a statement by the ministry of information.

The IPI Board had, on Thursday, approved the creation of regional blocs of National Committees as a means of dealing with specific regional interests within the global IPI community.

Idris stressed the readiness of country for another world-class hosting after it successfully hosted the IPI World Congress and General Assembly in Abuja in 2018.

While no date has been fixed for the meeting, Mr. Griffen disclosed that the IPI Secretariat in Vienna will work out the details with Mr. Adedoyin and the IPI Nigeria National Committee.

He also applauded the Nigeria National Committee for its robust press freedom engagements.

His views were reinforced by the Chairman of the IPI Executive Board, Mr. Gergely, who described Nigeria as a leading light in democratic governance with a free press.

During his discussions with the IPI leadership, the minister also raised the lingering quest of the IPI Nigeria National Committee for IPI’s assistance to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos.

He recalled that NIJ was founded by the IPI in 1971 during the board presidency of the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and noted that its Governing Board is currently chaired by IPI leader and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

The Nigerian delegation at the Congress comprised Board Member, Raheem Adedoyin; IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed; former Presidential Spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu; Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Adviser, Public Communication, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dr. Fabian Benjamin and IPI Nigeria Legal Adviser, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, among others.

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