Nigeria 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, Mallam Mohammed Idris, disclosed this during a meeting with IPI leaders at the weekend in Vienna, Austria.
This was contained in a statement signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, on Sunday.
According to him, “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 Nigeria was prepared to stage another successful global event, recalling that the country “successfully hosted the IPI World Congress and General Assembly in Abuja in 2018.”
Although no date has been fixed, IPI Executive Director, Mr. Scott Griffen, said the institute’s secretariat in Vienna would work with IPI Nigeria and Mr. Raheem Adedoyin, who represents Nigeria and Africa on the IPI Executive Board, to finalise details.
Chairman of the IPI Executive Board, Mr. Marton Gergely, commended Nigeria’s commitment to democratic values and a free press, describing the country as “a leading light in democratic governance with a free press.”
Griffen also praised the IPI Nigeria National Committee for its “robust press freedom engagements” across Africa.
During the meeting, Idris revisited the IPI Nigeria Committee’s request for support to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos — a media training institution founded by IPI in 1971 during the presidency of the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
He noted that the NIJ Governing Board is currently chaired by IPI leader and former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba.
The statement added that the minister, who is a leading member of IPI, was among the registered participants at the IPI World Congress and 75th Anniversary held in Vienna.
Other Nigerians at the Congress included Raheem Adedoyin, Musikilu Mojeed, Garba Shehu, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Rafiu Ajakaye, Steve Ayorinde, Prof. Abigail Ogwuensi, and Tobi Soniyi.