…Obi of Onitsha to chair conference
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has announced plans to host its 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, with more than 500 editors expected to gather to deliberate on the future of democracy, journalism and national development ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The two-day conference is scheduled to hold on September 24 and 25, 2026, at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.
The annual gathering, regarded as the flagship conference of the Guild, will bring together editors from across Nigeria, alongside political leaders, legal practitioners, academics, journalists and other stakeholders to examine critical national and global issues with implications for Nigeria’s political, economic and social development.
The theme of the 2026 conference is “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” while the sub-theme focuses on the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence-enabled disinformation: “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”
The conference is expected to assume added significance as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections, with the Guild positioning the gathering as a platform for editors and other stakeholders to interrogate the role of the media in protecting electoral integrity, democratic values and public trust.
The President and General Secretary of the NGE, Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, respectively, disclosed the programme in a statement issued on Sunday.
The statement said His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, would chair the conference.
Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony on September 24.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2pm.
Onaiyekan’s participation comes as the Guild prepares to focus extensively on the relationship between democracy, public trust and the responsibilities of the media in an increasingly polarised political environment.
Also scheduled to speak on the first day is Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, who will address the theme “Public Trust, Electoral Justice and Democratic Stability.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State will also address participants at the conference.
The first day’s programme will further examine the challenges of reporting terrorism and violent extremism without inadvertently advancing the interests of terrorist groups.
Ombudsman and Public Protector at ThisDay Newspapers, Kayode Komolafe, and veteran journalist and civil rights campaigner, Owei Lakemfa, will make a joint presentation titled “Reporting Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”
The session is expected to examine the difficult balance between the public’s right to information and the media’s responsibility to avoid becoming a platform for terrorist propaganda.
The second day of the conference will open with a presentation by the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe.
Osigwe is scheduled to speak at 9am on “Election Petitions in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Courts.”
His presentation is expected to focus on the evolving relationship between technology and electoral litigation, particularly the evidentiary and legal implications of the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other digital technologies in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The conference will also feature Prof. Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, who will speak on “Neutrality, Professionalism and Election Security in Democratic Governance.”
Okunna’s session will place emphasis on the professional responsibilities of journalists and the importance of neutrality and ethical journalism in an electoral environment often characterised by intense political competition.
The NGE conference will also devote attention to the often-overlooked human and psychological dimensions of journalism.
Founder and Chief Medical Director of Save A Life Hospital, Port Harcourt, Dr. Richard Okoye, will speak on “The Human Side of Journalism: Managing Stress, Deadlines and Personal Wellbeing.”
The session will examine the pressures associated with journalism, including demanding deadlines and the personal toll that sustained professional stress can have on journalists.
The Guild said the inclusion of the session reflected the need to pay greater attention to the wellbeing of journalists as an essential component of a healthy and effective media industry.
One of the major sessions of the conference will focus on artificial intelligence and its implications for journalism and elections.
Prof. Farooq A. Kperogi, Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, will examine the conference sub-theme on AI-generated disinformation.
His presentation, “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election,” is expected to address the growing sophistication of digitally generated falsehoods and the implications for journalists, voters and democratic institutions.
With generative artificial intelligence increasingly capable of producing realistic text, photographs, audio and video, the session is expected to challenge editors and newsrooms to develop stronger verification systems ahead of the 2027 elections.
A major feature of the second day’s programme will be an Executive Session scheduled for 12:30pm.
During the session, editors will engage governors, political party leaders and heads of government parastatals on issues of national importance.
The interactive session is expected to provide an opportunity for senior media practitioners to directly question political and institutional leaders on issues affecting governance, democracy and national development.
The Guild said the conference would provide a platform for editors and other stakeholders to examine pathways for advancing democratic governance, promoting national development and strengthening nation-building through responsible and responsive journalism.
It added that the gathering would enable media leaders to interrogate the challenges confronting democracy and examine the role of the media in safeguarding credible elections, public trust and democratic values.
The NGE said the timing of the 2026 conference was particularly important given its proximity to the 2027 general elections, when the media will face heightened demands to provide accurate, balanced and credible information to voters while confronting political propaganda, misinformation and emerging AI-generated disinformation.
The Guild said its annual conference would therefore serve not only as a professional gathering for editors but also as a forum for broader reflection on the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the responsibilities of the media in sustaining it.
The 2026 ANEC is expected to attract more than 500 editors from across the country, alongside other distinguished participants, as the Nigerian media community prepares for another consequential electoral cycle.