A former Minister for Power and Steel, Senator Liyel Imoke has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) scheduled for October 3, 2024, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

This is just as attendance and participation by other highly fecund speakers and panelists have been confirmed.

They comprise, among others, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Retd); the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida; a Professor of Political Science at the Federal University Lokoja, Rotimi Ajayi, and an edutainment communicator and veteran broadcaster, Ms Debrah M. Ogazuma.

Chairman, 2024 Conference Planning Committee, Danlami Nmodu, mni, disclosed these in a press statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of GOCOP, Sir Remmy Nweke.

According to the statement, Nmodu said that Imoke would lead discussion on the theme: “Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit, and Transitioning to Digital Economy” at the Reverton Hotel, GRA Lokoja, Kogi State on Thursday, October 3, 2024, by 10am.

Senator Imoke was at a time Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Utilities and Chairman, Presidential Committee on OMPADEC and NEPA Technical Boards.

In 2007, Senator Imoke was elected Governor of Cross River State and served his people in that capacity from 29 May 2007 to 29 May 2015.

Imoke studied Law at the University of Buckingham, England for his LLB degree in 1985, and studied at the American University in Washington, D.C., where he gained a master’s degree in law. He completed his legal education at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, in 1988.

He was earlier elected a Senator in 1992 and was in the National Assembly until the military incursion, following the annulment of the presidential election of June 12, 1993.

He then went Into private enterprise in 1993 as a Managing Consultant.

Retired Lt-General Buratai would be joined by Dr. Aminu Maida as Guest Speakers.

The statement stated that Professor Ajayi would join other panellists, including a former Commissioner in Kwara state and National Coordinator of West African Media Network (WAMNET), Ms Ogazuma.

The 2024 GOCOP conference is the 8th in the series and would be chaired by former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Yusuf Mamman.

The 2023 edition was chaired by the JAMB Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof Ishaq Olarenwaju Oloyede, while the first Nigerian Professor of Capital Market, Prof. Uchenna Joseph Uwaleke was the keynote speaker.

Previous speakers at the annual conference consisted of Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto who delivered the 2019 lecture on “Economy, Security and National Development: The Way Forward.””

In 2021, Mr. Boss Mustapha, as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, keynoted the conference and spoke on: “Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.”

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, delivered the keynote at the 2022 edition themed “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”

GOCOP was established to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism.

Membership of the Guild is a constellation of editors and senior journalists who, having distinguished themselves in their various positions in the print and electronic media, ventured into online publishing which is both the present and future of journalism globally.

The Guild has over 104 corporate publishers as members.

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