The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) is gearing up for its 2024 annual conference scheduled to hold in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from November 7 to 9.
In a statement issued on Monday by its President, Mr Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, NGE said the All Editors Conference (ANEC) will be chaired by the Chairman/Editor-In-Chief of THISDAY/Arise Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, while Vice President Kassim Shettima will declare the conference open.
Other dignitaries expected at the conference include Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, as the chief host, and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and the Founder/Publisher of Vanguard Media Group, Sam Amuka, as fathers of the day.
Giving more insight into the conference, the guild stated that since the inception of the present government in May 2023, its agents had consistently insisted that the Federal Government had been pursuing dauntless reforms to reconstruct the macroeconomic situation it met on ground for stability and development.
“Their argument is that the petrol fiscal subsidy was moderately jettisoned, and Foreign Exchange (FX) reforms had led to the unification of the markets and a market-reflective exchange rate.
“To assuage the inflationary effects of these reforms on the most vulnerable, the government said that it had been implementing temporary cash transfers to reach 15 million households, with efforts also being made to tighten monetary policy and refocus the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its core mandate of maintaining price stability.
“However, in spite of these efforts by the federal government and having the largest economy and population in Africa, experts say that Nigeria offers limited opportunities to most of its citizens, especially as Nigeria is ranked the 7th lowest human capital index in the world, and weak job creation. Meanwhile, many workers and professionals are increasingly choosing to emigrate in search of better opportunities,” the NGE said.
The media executives argued that while the poverty rate in the country is put at about 40 per cent with an estimated 88 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, the exchange rate, inflation and spiralling energy prices remain huge concerns to many Nigerians.
They explained further that this year’s ANEC will focus on strategies and policies aimed at addressing the challenges of the nation’s economy and its media space.
