The International Press Institute (IPI) has commended the IPI Nigeria National Committee for it’s leading role in the affairs of the world press freedom body.
IPI Director, Frane Maroevic and Board Chair, Khadija Patel made the commendation yesterday at the meeting of the IPI Executive Board held in Vienna, Austria.
Maroevic told board members that IPI Nigeria had carried out reforms that have helped it in organising and carrying out press freedom activities worthy of emulation by other national committees.
“The Nigerian National Committee is well-organised and extremely active. It is not only organising, it is active in the training of our members in Nigeria. The IPI National Committee in Nigeria is a good example of how a national committee should operate.”
Maroevic expressed IPI leadership’s desire to collaborate with the Nigerian chapter on press freedom activities.
Directly addressing Nigeria’s representative on the board, Raheem Adedoyin, who was at the meeting, the director said: “We see a great value in what you (IPI Nigeria) is doing. You are doing very well, we will publish your activities. And do involve us in your planning.”
Speaking in the same vein, IPI Board Chair, Khadija Patel said: “We ( IPI leadership) regard the Nigerian National Committee very highly. We are committed to enhancing the work that they do.”
The board is already mulling giving Nigeria the privilege to host a regional (Africa) IPI National Committees summit later in the year.
The board meeting considered and approved IPI budget for 2024, the IPI Strategy and the budget for the 2024 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The board meeting, was followed immediately by an IPI Africa Strategy meeting held at the instance of the Nigerian representative.
The board meeting was attended physically by Khadija Patel, IPI Chair and Chair, Journalist-in-Residence, International Fund for Public Interest Media. South Africa; John Daniszewski, Vice Chair and Vice President, Standards, Editor at Large, The Associated Press USA; Raheem Adedoyin, Chair, Editorial Board, The Herald Newspapers, Nigeria and Márton Gergely, Editor-in-Chief
HVG, Hungary; Bjørn Sæbø, Editor-in-Chief,
Rogalands Avis, Norway, Frane, IPI Executive Director and 12 other board members who joined the meeting virtually.
The IPI Africa Strategy meeting chaired by Maroevic was attended by Patel, Adedoyin, Scott Griffen, IPI Deputy Director, Amy Brouilette, IPI Director of Advocacy, Nompilo Simanje, IPI Africa Advocacy and Partnerships Lead and Edzodzi Ahiadou, IPI Africa Programme Officer.
