Onaiyekan, Mbah, Achebe To Headline NGE Conference In Enugu

Emeritus Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), opening at the Enugu International Conference Centre (ICC), today.

The conference, the Guild’s flagship annual gathering, will bring together more than 500 editors from across the country and other distinguished guests to discuss critical national and global issues with far-reaching social, economic, and political implications.

This year’s theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” with a sub-theme – “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election is particularly significant ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections,” the NGE  said in a statement jointly signed by its President and General Secretary, Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh.

The Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mba, will also address the two-day conference to be chaired by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha.

On the opening day, Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, will speak on “Public Trust, Electoral Justice and Democratic Stability,” while the Ombudsman & Public Protector, ThisDay Newspapers, Kayode Komolafe and veteran journalist and civil rights campaigner, Owei Lakemfa, will round off the day’s sessions with a joint presentation on “Reporting Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”

On the second day, the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, will speak on “Election Petitions in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Courts.”

His presentation will be followed by that of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, Prof. Chinyere Okunna, on “Neutrality, Professionalism and Election Security in Democratic Governance,” while 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 Well-being.”

Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA, Prof. Farooq A. Kperogi, will examine the conference sub-theme, “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”

Editors will engage governors, political party leaders, and heads of government parastatals on national issues during the conference, an annual platform for stakeholders to examine pathways to advance democratic governance, promote national development, and strengthen nation-building through responsible and responsive journalism.

The NGE said this year’s gathering would also provide an opportunity for media executives to interrogate the challenges confronting democracy and the media’s role in safeguarding credible elections, public trust and democratic values.