General News
PRESIDENT TINUBU TO DECLARE OPEN 2025 ALL NIGERIA EDITORS CONFERENCE IN ABUJA
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to declare open the 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference, ANEC, on November 12 in Abuja. The event is organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, the elite professional body of Managing Directors, Directors of News and Editors of Print, Online, News Agency and Broadcast Organisations.
This was announced in a statement on Friday signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and the General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh. The statement described the conference as a veritable platform to dissect issues that would sustain national cohesion and development in the country.
The statement reads, “We promise that despite the change of date, ANEC 2025 would be a credible platform to discuss and proffer solutions to issues pertaining to national development and cohesion. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will declare the conference open, while dignitaries from government, academia, media, organised private sector and diplomatic corps are expected to attend”.
The Guild stated that the theme for the two-day conference remains: “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” with a sub-theme: “Electoral Integrity and Trust Deficit: What Nigerians Expect in 2027”. There will be a keynote address on the theme and sub-theme, alongside other engaging papers.
According to the NGE, other papers to be delivered include: “Election Disputes and Judicial Integrity: Navigating the Thin Line Between Law and Politics” by Prof Awa Kalu, SAN, Managing Partner, Awa Kalu & Partners. Another is “State of the Nation: Imperative of Economic and Political Reforms in Challenged Nation” by Prof Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, HOD, Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja.
Further presentations are “The Evolving Face of Journalism: Battling Misinformation, AI Disruption, and Credibility Gap” by Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, Baze University, and “Media, Terrorism, and National Security: Addressing the Complexities” by General Lucky Irabor (rtd), former Chief of Defence Staff.
The NGE also announced that there will be an Executive Session on the second day of the conference where editors will interrogate government officials, political and business leaders. The ANEC is an annual event where editors address and discuss national issues with social, economic and political consequences in Nigeria.
The Guild said this year’s conference will see no fewer than 500 members converging on Abuja and is designed to provide a platform for editors and media executives to explore ways to promote national development and cohesion through responsible and responsive journalism.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has introduced an urgent, coordinated strategy to safeguard food security across West Africa and the Sahel, as global economic disruptions and rising oil prices continue to threaten agricultural production.
The decision followed an extraordinary virtual meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Agriculture held on March 23, 2026, where regional leaders assessed the growing risks to food systems.
The high-level meeting, convened by the ECOWAS Commission through its Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture under Commissioner Kalilou Sylla, brought together key regional institutions, development partners, and financial stakeholders.
Participants—including representatives from the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel—reviewed the impact of rising fertiliser costs, driven by global market volatility and increasing energy prices, on agricultural productivity across the region.
Deliberations resulted in the adoption of a medium- to long-term operational framework aimed at strengthening food sovereignty and building resilience within regional food systems.
Key measures outlined in the plan include the immediate establishment of regional agreements to secure strategic fertiliser supplies, as well as the creation of emergency reserves to cushion the effects of future price shocks.
The ministers also approved the introduction of liquidity swap mechanisms through central banks to address foreign exchange constraints faced by importers—an intervention expected to improve access to critical agricultural inputs.
“Our collective response underscores the urgency of safeguarding food security in the face of external shocks,” Sylla said, noting that enhanced regional coordination and targeted interventions would help sustain agricultural production and protect vulnerable populations.
The initiative highlights ECOWAS’ commitment to deepening regional cooperation and implementing sustainable solutions to emerging threats to food security across West Africa and the Sahel.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday paid a Sallah homage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos.
The visit formed part of activities marking the Sallah celebrations, as top government officials and political leaders paid courtesy calls to the President.
During the meeting, President Tinubu also received members of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council, a key political body in Lagos State.
Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council
The engagements provided an opportunity for discussions on national issues and strengthened ties between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The Sallah homage is a long-standing tradition in Nigeria, where political leaders and stakeholders visit the President and other top officials during major Islamic festivities.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has expressed concern over the reported arrest of a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar, describing the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.
In a statement issued on Monday, Obi said he was informed that the cleric was arrested by authorities shortly after hosting him in Kaduna on Sunday. He described the situation as “deeply troubling,” warning that it reflects a growing pattern of intimidation and suppression of dissenting voices in the country.
Obi noted that such actions, if confirmed, undermine fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and movement, which he said are essential pillars of any democratic society.
He further stressed that harassment or persecution of citizens based on perceived political affiliations must not be tolerated, urging the government to uphold the rule of law in its dealings with Nigerians.
“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society,” Obi stated, adding that suppression and intimidation of dissent have no place in a functioning democracy.
The former Anambra State governor called on authorities and all relevant actors to refrain from actions capable of weakening the nation’s already fragile democratic system.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official confirmation from security agencies regarding the alleged arrest.