By Sunny Igboanugo

That the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), has become the new face of journalism in Nigeria, is no longer an issue for debate. It has become a definite, constant and acceptable fact over the years, when it took the centrestage in providing a new impetus for the practice in the country by aligning itself to the emerging global best practices of the profession.

What is new is that the body is also proving itself as a formidable platform for shaping information, thoughts and ideas, critical not only to pulling Nigeria out of the muddy pit in which it appears to have sunk in recent times, but providing the planks, which nailed together would create the platform for its quantum leap into the future.

In other words, GOCOP, has become a bastion for the stimulus to the New Nigeria that has crept into and remained in the national consciousness quite recently. That much was confirmed last week when the body assembled in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. It was the eighth edition of the Yearly GOCOP conference, which began few years after the founding of the body, by a group of practitioners in the online news platforms – who keyed-in to the emerging media practice that has since grown to dominate the world.

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Initially, the idea for the formation of the group was to streamline the operation of practitioners to ensure that members – all well-established journalists – not only deviated from the suffusing bad-practices that non-professionals, rookies and outright fraudsters had introduced into the business, but took charge to ensure strict professional ethics as well as share intelligence, including business information on the realities of the new media platform.

That much has since been achieved by not only ensuring the strict and tall criteria set for admitting its membership – intending members must have spent at least 10 years in core journalism, have established office with a compliment of at least three staff, etc – but maintaining adequate monitoring mechanism to guarantee standard.

With that in the kitty and keeping to the ethics and maintaining standard no longer an issue, the group has since moved into the next stage of agenda setting – in itself, a critical component of the media functions. Over the years, the group has hosted many prominent Nigerians from all segments of the economy where information is not only shared internally but projected externally all geared towards national development and how to wake the sleeping giant many people have likened Nigeria as.

So, for four days – October 1 – the day of arrival to October 4 – departure – the 104-member body converged on beautiful city of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State for yet, another attempt at National Discourse to find the best answers to the National Question. Venue was the Reverton Hotels in the heart of the city, in a state that is said to be currently rediscovering itself as the base of Nigeria’s historic beginning.

Recall that Lokoja, once housed Fredrick Lugard, the British Lord and administrator, who provided the needle and thread with which Nigeria, hitherto, a conglomeration of divergent ethnic tongues, values and cultures, was knitted together, and therefore is ascribed a special place in the history of the country, with all the relics and structures, still evident till date.

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Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State, made no pretenses over his recourse to this historic fact in his detailed account on how he is determined to make the state not only a cynosure of eyes but a demonstrable pivotal base to mimic in Nigeria’s road to self-discovery. In his time in office, he promised to restore the state as the home of tourism in Nigeria and an economic hub, using all the natural infrastructures – those either buried in the ground, provided by nature or built by human hands.

Praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu profusely, Ododo told his audience: Kogi State is not joining protests to end bad governance in the country because we are seeing the impact of Mr President’s administration and his economic policies. Our administration has hit the ground running on road infrastructure development, investment in food production.

This is where we are doing our protests through mechanised farming with the view to bringing down the high costs of food in the state. Our administration in the state is all inclusive regardless of tribe and religion, among other fault lines. This government is the people’s government. We are silently turning things round in the state. We have signed up for the open government partnership. We are working to ensure that the resources of Kogi state work for the people of the state.”

Details of these, the governor provided in his several literatures, which were distributed to the GOCOP members and his speech to flag open the conference. Represented by Salifu Joel, his deputy, he was emphatic that Kogi was on the path to rediscovery in the Nigerian essence and true growth and prosperity.

This position was emphasised by Olorunfemi Kingsley Fanwo Commissioner for Information and Communication when he promised an encore next year to showcase how the state would have transformed in its journey to recreate itself as the bedrock of Nigerian rejuvenation. “You’re going to come back next year for us to show you what we mean when we say that Kogi would become the nation’s centre of attraction,” he told the visitors at a dinner organised for the GOCOP members to end the conference.

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But that was at the subnational level. Beyond that was the issues that took the centre-stage, which were captured in the theme: Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit, And Transitioning To Digital Economy, issues believed to be at the core of the current parlous state of affairs in the country. For more than 15 hours that were spent on the subject matters, in the two days the parley lasted, Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, Liyel Ikoke, former Chairman of the Power Sector Technical Board of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC-CEO), Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), all provided key insider information on the need-to-do basis, for Nigeria to rise from the bottomless pit despair and engage the gear for a jet-like leap into the future.

With Yusuf Mammam, former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain as Chairman, Rotimi Ajayi, a Professor in the Department of Political Science, Federal University Lokoja and Debrah Ogazuma, Edutainment Communicator and Veteran Broadcaster, dissected the papers as lead discussants.

One key feature of this year’s edition, was the introduction of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in which the GOCOP President led members on a visit to two orphanage homes – Margaret Garba Ohiani Orphanage/Less Privileged Home and Rehoboth Children’s Homes, in Lokoja, during which various food items were donated.

By the time the parley rose on the evening of Thursday, October 3, a new set of templates have been reached through the gleaning and extensive discussions on the papers presented from Buratai, who spoke on the crisis of insecurity that is threatening to overwhelm the country in the last decade and more, Imoke, who spoke on the decades-old intractable power supply malaise and Maina, who pointed to the limitless benefits of the digital economy, it was clear that like in the past, a surgical operation had been performed to discover the nation’s main afflictions.

Observations and projections from the event:

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Security:

Since Nigeria returned to democracy 25 years ago, we have been experiencing security challenges ranging from Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist agitations to Niger Delta militancy. These security challenges have no doubt impacted negatively on the Nigerian economy thus, causing economic hardships on the citizens. The Conference notes that poverty and high unemployment rate which is close to about 40% today are major factors contributing to insecurity across the country.

It notes weak governance, inconsistent government policies and widespread corruption in the security forces as factors leading to compromising efforts in tackling insecurity effectively. The Conference acknowledges the federal government’s efforts in significantly degrading the Boko Haram insurgency through the use of technology and intelligence, and notes however, that insurgent attacks have continued unabated, especially in the north-east region.

The Conference therefore, calls for decentralization of security by granting state governments greater control over local security forces so as to improve regional responses to insecurity. It further advocates the urgent need to strengthen our local security architecture through Community Policing, which will no doubt improve intelligence gathering, foster trust between security forces and communities, and ensure a more proactive response to local threats.

The Conference stresses the need for increased funding for Security Agencies, while emphasizing the need to reduce corruption in the procurement process so as to ensure judicious use of available resources. To address the root causes of banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts, the government should implement development initiatives targeting rural poverty and job creation.

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The Conference opines that tackling insecurity effectively depends largely on political will and the right leaders that will see corruption as evil and confront it frontally. It therefore charges members of GOCOP to take interest in interrogating the governance process that will ensure that committed and sincere leaders emerge to pilot the affairs of the country.

The Conference realizes that there is a corollary relationship between poverty and insecurity. Hence, it calls for specific economic empowerment programs targeting the youths such as entrepreneurship training, and access to financing for small and medium enterprises, SMEs.

POWER DEFICIT:

In Nigeria, electricity supply remains one of the most significant constraints to economic growth despite several power reforms that have been introduced since 1999 by successive governments. The Conference laments that despite huge resources that have been expended on electricity generation and distribution, Nigeria can only manage to deliver 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts.

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It notes that Nigeria’s per capita electricity consumption which is around 150 to 200 kWh per year, is too low compared to other African countries and only reflects challenges in electricity access, infrastructure, and supply. On the way forward in addressing Nigeria’s power deficit, the Conference enjoins conscious efforts aimed at diversifying generation capacity through investment that guarantees expansion of the gas pipeline network, to ensure more stable gas supply to power plants.

The Conference identifies the need to diversify Nigeria’s energy mix by increasing the share of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and small hydropower projects that could provide electricity to areas that are not well-served by the grid. It observes that the current transmission system is not working hence, calls  for the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria to allow greater private sector involvement in the transmission network.

The Conference advises the government to encourage more private sector investment in the power sector by creating a more stable and predictable regulatory environment to attract long-term investments. It notes that this is achievable if the government could stick to agreed contracts, reduce political interference, and ensure a transparent regulatory process.

Transition to Digital Economy:

The significant gains recorded through liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in 2001 notwithstanding, Nigeria still lags behind in digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and the adoption of digital technologies in government and business processes.

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The Conference notes that transitioning to a Digital Economy remains a major challenge for the country due to inadequate broadband penetration and unreliable internet services. It observes further that despite the fact that Nigeria boasts a young and dynamic population, digital literacy remains low, limiting the ability of the workforce to participate in the global digital economy.

The Conference agrees that Nigeria’s transition to a digital economy holds immense potential for transforming its economic landscape, creating jobs, and driving inclusive growth. Therefore, to fast-track this transition, the Conference calls on the government to prioritize infrastructure development, digital literacy, favourable regulations, and indigenous innovation.

It also advises that the government should address challenges such as poor internet access, regulatory uncertainty, and cybersecurity risks, noting that opportunities in fintech, e-commerce, agritech, and digital services present significant growth potential for Nigeria. The Conference lauds GOCOP for promoting responsible online publishing devoid of fake news, and urges its members to continue to discharge their responsibilities with patriotism.

GOCOP also charges its members to key into the various digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to promote their products or services and engage more with their audiences. GOCOP thanks the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo, members of the State Executive Council and the good people of the state for providing the necessary facilities that made the hosting of the 8th annual conference of the Guild a huge success. GOCOP reiterates its commitment to continue to promote ethical and professional journalism, foster collaboration as well as advocate for the interests of online publishers in Nigeria.

Maureen Chigbo, incumbent President, who had acknowledged the great work and achievements of the body through its progressions under Mojeed Muskilu, the pioneer President, Dotun Oladipo, his successor, had ended her welcome address by noting that: “Like a river will wash away all the stress of the last year and energise us to forge ahead with our businesses successfully until we meet again in October 2025.”

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She had also acknowledged the numerous individuals and entities that contributed in the successes of the event, such as the Olufemi Soneye of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Horatius Egua, Director, Special Duty at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the managements of Dangote Group, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Sovereign Trust Insurance PLC, among others.

As the members packed their bags to depart their rooms and head back to their individual bases across the country, one central thought was evident – GOCOP, which began as an idea of a few people, has like the tiny mustard seed grown to huge tree to provide homes for all manner of habitations that speaks on the nation’s diversity, the manure to nurture all the plants representing its myriad ideas and the vibrant voice in its ecosystem to project the idea of a New Nation.

Kogi, was good. Lokoja was the first to host the event outside Lagos and Abuja. By identifying and striking a symbiotic relationship with GOCOP, Ododo, has proved his vision, foresight as well as determination not only to lay bay his government to public glare, but to project his state into the future. From the confluence of ideas in the Confluence State, who knows who next?

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