Bayelsa Launches Annual Ernest Ikoli Lecture to Boost Media Engagement

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Douye Diri, has approved an annual lecture in honour of Ernest Ikoli, a veteran Nigerian journalist.

The Governor said at a dinner organised for members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors at the end of a 3-day conference in Yenagua that Mr. Ikoli dedicated his life to the promotion of journalism practice that led to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

Chief Diri said the annual lecture will focus on the need to partner with the Nigerian editors towards accelerated development in Nigeria

Governor Diri directed the Ministry of Information and Orientation to plan for the first annual lecture in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors in 2025.

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Speaking on the inspections of projects by the guild, Governor Diri acknowledged that his government do more roads and bridges to open the hinterland, but other sectors like education, health and human capital development received attention in the past five years.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Eze Anaba, commended the governor for the roads, housing, and health infrastructure inspected by the editors.

He called on the Bayelsa state governor to sustain the development programmes that would benefit the people of state, Nigerians and investors in the state.

The projects inspected include Akaba-Okoli-Ogu linking the Ijaw communities, Yenagua-Oporoma, Bridge construction across river Nun at Angiama, completion of bridge across silver River at Aguobiri, Nembe-Brass road,  New Yenagua city, science and technical colleges Ofoni and Ayamasa and ICT Village Yenagua amongst others.