Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, NNPCL and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have offered their support for the 7th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), scheduled for Thursday, October 5 at the Abuja Continental Hotel (Old Sheraton) by 10am.
Also, other State Governments in particular, Lagos and Kwara States have given their backing to the conference.
Chairman of the 2023 Conference Planning Committee, Danlami Nmodu, mni revealed this in a press statement by the Publicity Secretary of GOCOP, Mr. Remmy Nweke, saying that a good number of bluechip companies and high net-worth companies as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been on queue to support this year’s conference.
He also said that aside Lagos and Kwara States government, NNPC, NCS, GOCOP annual conference has attracted support from the likes of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), SEPLAT, Nigerians Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Dangote Group, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Nmodu further revealed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Sahara Energy, Sterling Bank, First City Merchant Bank (FCMB), Department State Security (DSS), Ecobank, First Bank, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, Emadeb, Kogi State, T-Pumpy Concepts and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are not left out.
Nmodu beckoned on those corporate entities still on the sideline to leverage GOCOP for partnership, pledging they will not regret such collaboration.
Meanwhile, he said that activities, have been linedup for a successful hosting of this year’s GOCOP annual conference with the theme: “Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability.” Even as prominent stakeholders in the polity, civil society organisations, security, judiciary, media, among others have confirmed participation.
Reiterating that the 7th annual conference, is slated for the 5th October to be chaired by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while Prof. Uche Uwaleke has confirmed as the keynoter for this year.
He affirmed that seasoned panelists for this year would include the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Yakubu A. Ochefu; Special Adviser to the President (Policy Coordination) Hajia Hadiza Bala-Usman, and Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets Management Ltd, Mr. Johnson Chukwu.
As said by him, a pre-conference day has been advanced to hold on the October 4, comprising the GOCOP business session, the luncheon and interactive segment with nationwide media managers of corporate entities and advertisers.
In addition, he said, the pre-conference day activities include that presentation of annual report and election of new National Executive Council (NEC) for another two years.
Past Speakers at the Conference include: Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the 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 keynoted the Conference in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19. He spoke on: “Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria”. In 2022, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission delivered the address titled: “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”
The GOCOP was established to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism in doing their jobs and our membership is a constellation of editors and senior journalists, whom, having distinguished themselves in their various stations in the print and electronic media, ventured into online publishing which is both the present and future of journalism globally. Currently, the Guild has over 90 corporate publishers as members.