Mohammed Shosanya

Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South,in Rabat, Morocco, who is the keynote speaker at the Realnews 12th Anniversary Lecture, has arrived in Lagos, aboard Air Maroc on Monday.

El Aynaoui who was accompanied by Abdelhak Bassou, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, Rabat, Morocco is also the Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Dean of its Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences Cluster.

A team of Realnews Magazine and Publication officials led by Maureen Chigbo, Publisher/Editor, was at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport to receive them.

The Realnews Lecture,which has held consecutively for 11 years beginning from 2014 will centre on “Africa in world shifting geopolitics, matters arising on democracy, technology, artificial intelligence, natural resources” and will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

His contributions at the Policy Center for the New South, pcns, a Moroccan Think Tank that works to improve social and economic public policies in Africa and the Global South makes him a perfect fit for this year’s theme.

He is an economist. From 2005 to 2012, he worked at the Central Bank of Morocco where he held the position of director of economics, statistics, and international relations.

At the Central Bank of Morocco,he was in charge of the research department and equally a member of the governor’s cabinet. Previously, he worked for eight years at the World Bank as an economist for its regional units of the Middle East and North Africa and Africa.

El Aynaoui has published books and journal articles on macroeconomic issues in developing countries. His recent research has been focused on growth and the labour market in Morocco, as well as on reforming international development economy.

EL Aynaoui holds scientific and advisory positions at various institutions. He is currently a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, the scientific committee of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, the scientific council of the Moroccan Capital Market Authority, the International Board of Leonardo Medor Foundation, the advisory council of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy of the American University of Cairo, Morocco’s Chapter of the Confrérie des Compagnons de Gutenberg. He serves as advisor to the CEO and Chairman of OCP Group and is a board member of OCP Foundation.

He holds a Phd in economics from the University of Bordeaux in France where he taught courses in statistics and economics for three years and he is also a Commendatore of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Realnews,a general interest magazine,is an online publication that thrives on investigative journalism.

A statement said,”We have expertise in reporting the oil and gas sector with its attendant environmental challenges. We aim to unearth exclusive stories about real people and the challenges they face in their day-to-day activities. We do this bearing in mind that government can only act to influence the lives of people positively if they are aware of their true situation. Hence, our objective is to use our investigative skills to ferret out information in the sectors we focus on and produce an unbiased report that will influence the government and decision-makers to take actions that will make society better.

“Realnews is populated by seasoned journalists who believe strongly in the tenets and ethics of the profession. The online publication believes that journalism as the fourth estate of the realm can contribute its quota towards building a fair and just society where fundamental human rights are respected and citizens have the freedom to pursue their interests anywhere in the world without hindrance. Its editors have a combined experience of several decades in active journalism practice and are highly dedicated to serving humanity. Hence its motto: “for god and humanity.”

Realnews anniversary lecture series was established to commemorate the best minds in our society and to tap from them to enrich the discourse in our national development.

The 11th anniversary lecture in 2023 on the threats of illicit funds flow to the African economy was delivered by Dr. Edwin w. Harris jr., Director-General, ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

The 10th anniversary lecture in 2022 on “Drug Abuse among Youths in Africa: Implication for Nigerian Economy and 2023 Elections” was delivered by Brig- General Buba Marwa, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; 9th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews in 2021 was delivered by Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: the oil and gas perspective”; 2020 Eighth Anniversary Lecture of Realnews was delivered by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 on Managing Covid-19 Pandemic in Africa: the Nigeria Experience; Former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana gave the 2019 Lecture on Beyond Politics: an Economic Narrative for West Africa while Prof. Mahmood Yakubu spoke on Political transitions and Africa’s Economic Development: Preparations for Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections at the 2018 Lecture. The 2017 Fifth Anniversary Lecture on African Leadership in a Turbulent era was delivered by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and former World Bank Vice President.

The 2016 Fourth Anniversary Lecture on Security and National Development in Plural Democratic Society was delivered by Dr. Mohamed ibn Chambas, former United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to West Africa and the Sahel; the 2015 Realnews Third Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on November 19, 2015, under the theme: It’s the Nigerian Economy Stupid?

The Second Realnews Anniversary Lecture On Nigerian Democracy: Getting It Right In 2014 was delivered by Professor Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He conveyed GOCOP’s commendation to the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, for her support of the NFVCB under the leadership of Dr Shaibu Husseini.

According to him,the conference not only serves as a tribute to the visionary contributions of the late Peace Anyiam-Osigwe,but also as an essential forum for collaboration, learning and strategising to shape the future of digital content responsibly.

Mohammed Shosanya

Seplat Energy Plc,a Nigerian indigenous energy company, has trained additional 50 journalists and media practitioners in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Abuja as it concludes the third edition of its media training in line with the company’s sustainability commitments.

The media training programme was organized in partnership with Channels Academy, and had in attendance journalists/media practitioners in the energy, finance, capital market, judiciary, and general business beats.

The two-day media training, which was themed,‘Retooling the Media for Better Reporting’ dwelt on areas like:Local and International Energy Market Overview;the Intersection of the Judiciary and Energy Sector and the Fundamentals of Energy Journalism.Insights were also shared on Reporting Nigeria’s Local Energy Giants, Legal Compliance and Best Practice, Data Analysis and Interpretation as well as Leveraging Technology in Journalism. The event, which culminated in the presentation of Certificates also featured group discussions on ethical scenarios and presentations.

It was facilitated by industry experts including Martin Ayankola, veteran Energy editor; Dr. PaulOgbole, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Simon Ejembi, Editor/Senior Manager, Channels Digital; Taiwo Adesina, Video production Specialist/Drone Pilot, and Emonye Adekwu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Stanley Opara,Manager Corporate Communications at Seplat Energy Plc, who represented Chioma Afe, Director External Affairs & Social Performance, Seplat Energy, reiterated Seplat Energy’s commitment to the continuous empowerment of journalists and the media as a whole,as partners in progress.

He identified the media as critical stakeholders of Seplat Energy, saying the development of the media industry in terms of skills and capacity advancement, remains dear to the company and its leadership.

Speaking,Mr. Kingsley Uranta, General Manager at Channels Academy,emphasized the role of the media in national development,stressing that the need to build more capacity in the media space cannot be overemphasized.

The journalists and media practitioners in attendance under the aegis of Energy Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) and the National Association of Judicial Correspondents, Abuja (NAJUC),commended Seplat Energy for its support and commitment to the Nigerian media,whilst calling on other corporate organizations to emulate the gesture, as all hands must be on deck to better the fortunes of the country’s media industry.

   Mohammed Shosanya

A documentary released by International Press Centre(IPC),and  Safety and Protection of Journalists hub,has alleged that police officers are the highest perpetrators of the attacks on journalists during crises,including EndSARS nationwide protest and EndBadGoverrnance nationwide protests.

There were about 40 incidents of attack on journalists,most of which occured in August,according to the findings of SPJ hub,which covers January 2024 to September 2024.

No fewer than 65 journalists and other media professionals were attacked,the group said.

These findings were made public on Saturday to mark the International Day To End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists, with the theme:”Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies

The Executive Director of International Press Centre(IPC), Mr. Lanre Arogundade,implored President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to publicly give updates on investigations into the killing of some journalists in Nigeria.

He advised President Tinubu to order security operatives to investigate all unresolved attacks on journalists in the country.

In dual statements signed and released by Melody Akinjiyan, Press Freedom Officer, IPC, Mr. Arogundade regretted that safety of journalists during crises and emergencies in the country is not guaranteed judging by the research and data collection carried out by Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) hub

Mr. Arogundade said:“We are calling for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists in Nigeria. We cannot turn a blind eye to attacks against journalists.

“We attach the highest priority to the safety of journalists and other media actors. We oppose any action,legislation,regulation or political pressure that limits freedom of the press.

“Acts of intimidation and violence against journalists in Nigeria have to end for democracy to survive. Attacks against media institutions and journalists are attacks against democratic rights including the right of the public to know the truth about the way they are governed.

“We call on the Presidency to mandate security operatives to carry out the necessary investigations on unresolved cases of attacks on journalists while we also urge the Inspector General of Police to publicly disclose what has so far been done towards unraveling the mystery behind killed journalists in Nigeria.”

On the recommendations of its research unit, IPC stated: “Full details of the analysis of the documented attacks, reveals that the actions taken by SPJ-Hub have been mostly statements of condemnation and requests for investigation to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

“We have also produced documentaries that have enabled victims of the immediate past period to provide greater detail about what they went through and the psycho-social effects on them and their close ones.

“IPC is glad that arising from the efforts so far, media stakeholders are now working on institutional and legislative frameworks that will expand the frontiers of press freedom.

“We consider this a welcome development and hope that the efforts yield fruits sooner than later.

“Under the SPJ-Hub,we shall also intensify our capacity building for journalists on safety in reporting especially in relation to investigative journalism, conflicts and elections.

“It would be recalled that with regards to safety in election reporting, we have already produced some guidelines that can be accessed through the downloadable app -IPC Media & Elections.

“As we continue to make efforts with other interest groups, our message to our governments is that they have a constitutional obligation to guarantee press freedom and ensure the safety of journalists.

“We shall not relent in making them to realize that a free press makes democracy meaningful.”

Mohammed Shosanya

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA)has  implored the Federal Government to take decisive action to ensure the safety of journalists in Nigeria.

The group also urged the government to comply with the February 16, 2024 judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja directing it to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and other media practitioners and to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of attacks against journalists.

The group gave the suggestion to commemorate this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

In a statement issued in Lagos by Ms Obioma Okonkwo, the Head of its Legal Department,MRA punctured the Federal Government’s continued disobedience of the judgment, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo in a suit it filed against Attorney-General of the Federation in which the court granted the eight declarations sought by MRA and issued three mandatory orders.

She recalled the court’s orders in the judgment directing the Federal Government to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and as well as to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists and other media practitioners.

She said: “The culture of impunity being nurtured by the Federal Government through its failure to comply with and enforce the court’s judgment is deeply concerning.

“Far too often, crimes committed against journalists remain unresolved, and the perpetrators go unpunished. This impunity not only emboldens those who seek to harm or silence journalists and the media, it also undermines public confidence in the rule of law and democratic governance.”

Ms Okonkwo called on the government to prioritize the protection of journalists through concrete measures and action, including strengthening legal protections by adopting and implementing laws that protect journalists from violence and harassment and by ensuring the swift prosecution of those responsible for crimes against media professionals.

She also urged media organizations to take proactive measures to protect their staff and engender a supportive environment where journalists can perform their duties safely and without fear.

She said: “As we commemorate this day, we honour the courage and resilience of journalists who risk their lives and liberty to bring us stories that matter. We must renew our collective commitment to ending violence and other forms of attacks against journalists and ensuring that every journalist in Nigeria can work freely and safely. Together, let us build a society where truth-telling is celebrated, and those who seek to harm the messengers of truth are held accountable.”