IPI Nigeria approves constitution, launches membership drive

The General Assembly of the International Press Institute (IPI), Nigerian Chapter, has approved a Constitution for it’s operations in the country.

The approval was given at a meeting of IPI held both virtually and physically and hosted by Daily Trust Newspapers in Abuja, on Tuesday.

IPI- the global network for senior journalists, publishers, seasoned broadcasters and communication experts- is headquartered in Vienna, Austria and operates under a global constitution.

The Nigerian chapter, otherwise referred to as the Nigerian National Committee, has domesticated the IPI Constitution to suit its environment.

The IPI Nigeria constitution provides for an expansion of its current executive committee (Exco) from just the Chairman ( now changed to President) and Secretary, to now include the offices of deputy president, assistant secretary, treasurer, auditor and legal adviser.

Other resolutions of the meeting chaired by its President, Kabiru Yusuf, include the deployment of robust measures that would enhance membership drive into the Nigerian chapter of the body, as well as approval of the criteria for such membership recruitment.

According to the provisions of the IPI Nigeria Constitution, membership of the Institute is open to persons active in the field of Journalism in reputable traditional and web news media organisations, freelancers and lecturers/researchers in schools of journalism/mass communication/communication arts, or those working in outlets that defend and support the principles of press freedom and rights and the desire to co-operate to achieve the objectives of the global body of the Institute.

According to the Constitution, membership is open to only persons who have spent 10 years and above in a recognised media organisation.

For individual membership, payment of registration fee of N10,000 and annual due of N20,000 is mandatory.

For corporate membership (reputable traditional and web news media organisations and platforms operating in Nigeria) it is N50,000 registration fee and N100,000 annual due.

The Constitution provides for a seven-member Board of Trustees for IPI Nigeria, with members entitled to not more than two-terms of five years each.

The General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, 23rd March, 2021, to receive the reports of the contact/mobilisation and the property purchase ad hoc committees which were set up late last year, and to also start preparations for the composition of a new executive committee that will pilot the affairs of the IPI Nigeria for the next three years.

Those in attendance at the Tuesday meeting include the IPI Nigeria Secretary and member of the IPI Executive Board, Raheem Adedoyin ; veteran journalists Emma Agu and Timothy Oyedeji; the Director General of the National Council for Arts & Culture (NCAC), Olusegun Runsewe; the Chairman of Blueprint, Mohammed Idris; the Managing Director of ThisDay, Eniola Bello; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu; the Director, Digital Media at the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Hajia Sani; the Assistant Director, Digital Media, VON, Rafat Salami; the immediate past CEO of Daily Trust, Mannir Dan-Ali, and a former Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism( NIJ), Lagos, Elizabeth Ikem.

Also in attendance at the meeting were the Publisher of Politico Magazine, Shehu Mustapha, the founder of RadioNow, Kadaria Ahmed; the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed; Publisher of Realnews Magazine, Maureen Chigbo; the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Trust, Naziru Mikailu Abubakar; the Deputy Editor of 21st Century Chronicle, Catherine Agbo; General Manager/CEO of Trust TV, Ibrahim Shehu Adamu; the immediate past General Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Victoria Ibanga; ThisDay Deputy Editor, Tobi Soniyi ; the General Manager, Business & Strategy of Daily Trust, Ahmed Shekarau, the General Manager of The Herald Newspapers, Yomi Adeboye and the Head of Department of Mass Communications, Kwara State University, Isiaka Aliagan

Present also were the Chairman, Editorial Board, DAARS Communications, Kelly Elisha; Deputy Director, Digital Media, Voice of Nigeria, Qasim Akinreti;, Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade; the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief , Newsdiaryonline, Danlami Nmodu; IPI stalwarts Aliu Akoshile, Okunzuwa Osawaru, Zainab Okino, Adewale Kupoluyi and Temi Amusan.