Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). The flagship national event will open at the Enugu International Conference Centre (ICC) on Thursday, September 24.
The conference, which stands as the Guild’s premier annual gathering, will attract over 500 editors from print, broadcast, and digital media platforms across the country. Joining them will be distinguished guests, policymakers, and civil society leaders aimed at addressing critical national and global issues with far-reaching social, economic, and political implications.
The NGE emphasized the urgency of this year’s focus ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. The event centers on the overarching theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” alongside a targeted sub-theme: “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”
The declaration was made in a joint statement issued by the President of the NGE, Eze Anaba, and its General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh. The Guild’s leadership highlighted that the gathering comes at a vital juncture in Nigeria’s political history, where artificial intelligence and digital manipulation pose growing threats to electoral integrity.
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mba, will address the two-day gathering to welcome the nation’s media leadership to the coal city. Proceedings will be formally chaired by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha.
Opening day discussions will focus on foundational democratic institutions and constitutional governance. Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, is scheduled to speak on the critical topic, “Public Trust, Electoral Justice and Democratic Stability.”
Concluding the first day’s deliberations, Kayode Komolafe, the Ombudsman & Public Protector of ThisDay Newspapers, alongside veteran journalist and civil rights campaigner Owei Lakemfa, will deliver a joint presentation. Their session will address national security challenges under the topic, “Reporting Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”
The second day of the conference will shift focus to legal, technical, and electoral mechanics. Mazi Afam Osigwe, the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), will present a paper titled “Election Petitions in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Courts.”
Subsequent sessions on day two will turn to questions of professional ethics and state security forces. Prof. Chinyere Okunna, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, will address participants on “Neutrality, Professionalism and Election Security in Democratic Governance.”
Acknowledging the heavy operational pressures faced by media practitioners, the conference will also focus on occupational health. Dr. Richard Okoye, Founder and Chief Medical Director of Save A Life Hospital, Port Harcourt, will speak on “The Human Side of Journalism: Managing Stress, Deadlines and Personal Well-being.”
A major highlight of the second day will be a detailed examination of digital threats to democracy. Prof. Farooq A. Kperogi, Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA, will deliver a paper directly analyzing the sub-theme: “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”
Aside from formal lectures, the conference will feature intensive interactive engagements between press leaders and political authorities. Editors will hold executive sessions with state governors, political party leaders, and heads of key government parastatals to interrogate policy execution and state accountability.
The NGE executive council said the annual gathering serves as a strategic national platform. It allows key stakeholders to map out actionable pathways for advancing democratic governance, fostering national development, and driving nation-building through responsible and responsive journalism, the NGE said.
The NGE reiterated that this year’s assembly in Enugu provides media executives with a vital opportunity to confront pressing threats to free expression. Ultimately, the Guild seeks to reinforce the press’s constitutional role in safeguarding credible elections, rebuilding public trust, and sustaining core democratic values across Nigeria.
