GOCOP has potential to produce Nigeria’s future president, Says Nmodu

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has the potential to produce a future President of Nigeria, its President, Danlami Nmodu, has said.

Nmodu said the guild had grown into a recognised body of accomplished, cerebral and professionally competent media practitioners capable of contributing significantly to national development.

He made the remarks on Wednesday while delivering his welcome address at the 10th Annual Conference of GOCOP held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State.

According to him, GOCOP has evolved beyond an association of online publishers into a recognised professional platform with growing influence and international visibility.

He urged members to recognise the opportunities within their respective areas of specialisation and develop the expertise and entrepreneurial capacity required to achieve professional fulfilment and economic sustainability.

Nmodu also expressed appreciation to members of the guild for their support for his administration since he assumed office as President, alongside other members of the executive committee.

GOCOP Unveils New Conference Partners

Meanwhile, GOCOP has announced the addition of the Lagos, Delta, Imo and Ekiti state governments, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), Access Bank Plc and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to the list of partners supporting its 10th annual conference.

The guild’s Publicity Secretary, Kemi Yesufu, disclosed this in a statement outlining activities for the two-day conference.

She said the first day of the conference would feature a presentation by Max Amuchie, Publisher of Sundiata Post, titled, “The Sundiata Post Model: Building the African Newsroom for the Long Term.”

This would be followed by a presentation on “AI and Prompt Engineering for Online Publishing” by Biodun Durojaiye, Publisher of The Lagos Times.

The final presentation for the day would focus on “Monetisation of Digital Media Business”, to be delivered by Dr Monday Ashibogwu, Publisher of Quick News.

2027 Elections Take Centre Stage

Yesufu said the second day of the conference, Thursday, October 8, would focus on the theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.”

She said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, would deliver the keynote address, while Dr Olisa Agbakoba, founding partner of Olisa Agbakoba Legal and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), would chair the session.

The panel is expected to feature Abayomi Shogunle, Commissioner of Police, Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Force Headquarters, Abuja; Prof Tayo Popoola, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos; Adaora Onyechere Sydney Jack, Creative Director of Gender Agenda and Founder of WEWE Network Afrique; and Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre.

The statement said the newly announced partners would join organisations previously listed as supporters of the conference.

They include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Nigeria Customs Service, Dangote Group, Seplat Energy and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Others are the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Bank of Industry (BoI), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), TAJBank, Emadeb Energy, Setraco Nigeria Limited, Sovereign Trust Insurance and Nestlé Nigeria Plc.

GOCOP is a business membership organisation comprising corporate online publishers in Nigeria. The guild was established to promote professionalism, ethical standards, credibility and sustainability in the country’s rapidly expanding digital media industry.

Its annual conference has become a platform for bringing together media executives, policymakers, academics, business leaders, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues of national importance.

The 10th edition comes at a time when Nigeria’s digital media landscape is undergoing significant changes driven by artificial intelligence, evolving audience behaviour, digital advertising pressures and the growing demand for credible information.

The conference’s focus on the 2027 elections also places online publishers at the centre of discussions around electoral information, public trust, transparency, misinformation and the responsibilities of digital media platforms and practitioners in the democratic process.