A Nigerian, Raheem Adedoyin was on Thursday, elected alongside 15 others to the governing board of the 70-year-old International Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, Austria.
Adedoyin, chairman of the editorial board of The Herald newspapers and Secretary of of the IPI Nigeria chapter, was elected unopposed to the board of the prestigious body that focuses exclusively on press freedom and welfare of journalists across the world.
Adedoyin succeeds the late Wada Maida, the publisher of People’s Daily and one time Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria.
Maida had succeeded Kabir Yusuf, the publisher of Daily Trust.
The election was held at the 70th General Assembly of IPI holding in Austria, with at least 200 member journalists, some of whom virtually tuned in to the event worldwide.
Other newly elected IPI board members are Walid Batrawi (Palestine); John Daniszewski (USA); Marton Gergely (Hungary); Emre Kizilkaya (Turkey); Elizaveta Osetinskaya (Russia); Etaf Roudan (Jordan); Hiroki Sugita (Japan); Jus Other newly elected IPI board members are Walid Batrawi (Palestine), John Daniszewski (USA), Marton Gergely (Hungary), Emre Kizilkaya (Turkey), Elizaveta Osetinskaya (Russia), Etaf Roudan (Jordan); Hiroki Sugita (Japan), Jussi Tuulensuu (Finland), and Sami Zeidan (Qatar).
Zaffar Abbas (Pakistan) was re-elected to the board alongside Mahfuz Anam (Bangladesh); Monika Eigenaperger (Austria); David Jordan (UK); Riyad Mathew (India); and Khadija Patel (South Africa).
The 70th IPI Congress, which opened on Wednesday, reviewed the situation of press freedom and the media industry in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The congress featured lectures, master classes, and seminars on topics such as Africa talk: Innovation in distribution of news on messaging platforms; Think Globally, report locally; sustainable financing of media; how can philanthropy help?; Master class: combating online harassment; strategy round table: independent journalism, cooperation and solidarity in central and Eastern Europe; town hall: strategies for resistance; conversation: are you still there? How to keep and grow our audiences; amongst others.
Nigerian delegates to the congress include Sir Folu Olamiti, member of IPI Nigeria Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Church of Nigeria Advent Cable Network Nigeria Television ACNNTV; Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Premium Times; Dr. Benjamin Fabian, General Manager (Public Affairs) of JAMB; Mrs Tawakalit Olayemi Yusuf, member of the Executive Management of Sobi FM and IPI member; and Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor and IPI member.
This year’s congress came two years after the last one in Geneva. Last year’s congress was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lateefah Ibrahim
