NGE urges NPAN, stakeholders to set up newsprint coys
.Wants Editors to explore revenue yielding ventures, business prospects
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and other media stakeholders to collaborate to ensure the setting up of newsprint production companies and resuscitation of the moribund one in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, to address the crisis of high cost of imported newsprints.
The NGE stated this in a communique at the end of its 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) and Extraordinary Convention 2017 at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from September 20-24, 2017.
The NGE in the communique also noted that the media industry has been and is still experiencing a crisis of recession, which presupposes that government would need to do more to ensure a conducive environment for the media to flourish.
The Guild resolved that there is a need for Editors, while remaining professionally excellent, to also explore other revenue yielding ventures or business prospects to ensure that life after their editorial assignments is not nightmarish.
It also resolved that Editors in addition to their editorial functions, should concern themselves with the business side of the media industry to ensure that their establishments thrive, and that their venture into business upon retirement should be knowledge-based and experience-enriched from their service years.
The NGE in the 10-point communique also called on Mass Communication Departments in tertiary institutions and Journalism training institutions to include business courses in their curricular so as to prepare future editors for the business of the media industry.
The Guild appealed to the Federal and state governments to pay outstanding gratuities and pensions of retired Editors and other classes of retirees to make life after retirement less stressful.
The Guild also commended the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their efforts in curtailing activities of insurgents, militants and other groups threatening peace and security of the country and regretted the encroachment on its land in Guzape, Abuja, expressing gratitude to the FCT Minister for his promise to redress the situation.
The NGE in the communique commended members for their cooperation and support, which led to the successful amendment of the Guild’s Constitution, just as it expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for his magnanimity in hosting ANEC back to back successfully and applauded the significant level of infrastructure development recorded in the state under his watch.
The 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) and Extraordinary Convention 2017 which held at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State with the theme, “Balancing Professionalism, Advocacy and Business” was declared open by Governor Wike and was attended by members of the guild and other media stakeholders.
