Akwa Ibom journalists hold media stakeholders summit

Journalists in Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria, are set to hold the first-ever media stakeholders summit in the state.

Themed “The State of the Media in Akwa Ibom State: the Way Forward”, the one-day summit, will take place on Friday by 10 a.m., at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

PREMIUM TIMES editor Cletus Ukpong will co-chair the summit alongside Israel Umoh, the publisher of StraightNews newspaper and former chairperson of the NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council.

Mr Ukpong, an assistant managing editor and head of Southern Operations of PREMIUM TIMES, will speak at the summit on “Ethical and Responsible Journalism in Akwa Ibom State.”

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Kufre Etuk, the summit planning committee secretary and publisher of the Crest Newspaper, Uyo.

Idongesit Ashameri, a former chairperson of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Akwa Ibom State, will speak at the summit on the topic “Media Practice in Akwa Ibom: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

Other speakers include an award-winning journalist and editor at TheMail Newspaper, Ekemini Simon, who will speak on “Opportunities for Media Sustainability in Akwa Ibom State” and Idorenyin Aquaisua, publisher of MediaPost International, who will speak on “The Challenges of Media Industry in Akwa Ibom State,” Mr Etuk said.

“Franklyn Isong, director of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network, an internationally-recognised human rights and pro-democracy organisation in Nigeria, will examine press freedom in Akwa Ibom.”

According to Mr Etuk, the chairperson of NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council, Amos Etuk, and the Chancellor of Conference of Online Publishers, Akwa Ibom State, Utitofon Ukpong, would present goodwill messages at the Summit.

Mr Etuk said the summit will have two sessions: a Pre-Summit session with media relations managers and a Stakeholder Business session.

He said the event will bring reporters, editors, and publishers in the state together for a “much-needed stocktaking.”