Publishers from 48 African countries in Lagos for Media Leaders Summit

Over 100 newspaper and magazine publishers and broadcasting chiefs bfrom 48 African countries have arrived the country for the two-day African Media Leaders Forum (AMFL) which begins today in Lagos.

The keynotes will be delivered by the famous former ABC Nightline Anchor, Mr. Ted Koppel; co-founder of Huffington Post in the US , Arianna Huffington; Publisher of Next newspaper, Dele Olojede; and Dean of Medill School of Journalism, John Lavine.

Those who had arrived the country last night included Trevor Ncube, Executive Deputy Chairman Mail &a Guardian, South Africa; Linus Gitahi, CEO Nation Media Group, Kenya; Pius Njawe, Publisher Le Messager, Cameroon; Kenneth Best, Publisher Liberian Observer, Liberia; Robert Kabushenga, CEO New Vision, Uganda; Omar Ben Yeder, Publisher IC Publications, UK; Marie Roger Biloa, Publisher Africa International, France; and Mathatha Tsedu, Chairman The African Editors Forum, South Africa.

Others are Moussa Toure, Eagle Productions Cote d'Ivoire; John Bundotich CEO, The Standard Group, Kenya; Tumi Magkabo, CEO Tumi&CO, South Africa; Cherif El Walid Seye, CEO Les Afriques, Senegal; Freddy Iyonka, publisher Le Potentiel, DRC; Kaitira Kandji, CEO MISA, Namibia; Boureima Sigue, CEO Le Pays, Burkina Faso; Birima Fall, CEO, Le Republicain, Mali; Oh Yeon Oh, founder and Publisher, Oh My News, South Korea and Arlindo Lopes, Secretary General, SABA.

The forum offers a platform for the actualisation of an ongoing commitment by media owners to critically reflect and seek common ground on the problems and prospects that the media industry in Africa is facing.

The first session today is expected to be chaired by Publisher of Vanguard and Patron of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Mr Sam Amuka-Pemu, supported by Chairman of THISDAY Group, Mr Nduka Obaigbena and others.

The session will feature five speakers, namely Obaigbena, Founding Chairman of AMLF; Amadou Mahtar Ba, Co-President AMLF, AMI Acting Executive Director and President AllAfrica Global Media; Eric Chinje, Co-President AMLF, Manager External Relations, World Bank, Africa Region; and Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa, Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria.

The first plenary will follow, with the topic: “What are The Possible Futures of Journalism with The Emergence of New Media?”

The keynote speech will be made by Koppel, who is also former Managing Editor at Discovery Channel and currently NPR and BBC Senior news analyst.

The panel of discussants will feature Ho; Dr Tamela Hultman, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer, AllAfrica Global Media (AllAfrica.com) and Founding Director Centre for Africa and the Media at Duke University; Cristiana Falcone of the World Economic Forum, where she is Director Media, Entertainment and Information Industries; Olojede, the only African winner of the Pulitzer Prize; and Prof Lavine. The discussion will be moderated by Obaigbena.

The next plenary session, focusing on the topic “Media and Governance: Myths and Realities of the Fourth Estate”, will be kick-started with a keynote by Huffington. The panel will feature Njawe; Yedder; Kabushenga; Ncube; and Prof Kwame Karakari, Executive Director, Media Foundation of West Africa, Ghana. The moderator is Charlayne Hunter Gault, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees, AMI.

The day will be rounded off with the third plenary discussing “Media Development: Financing Media Ventures”. On the panel are Tayi Aderinokun, Group Managing Director, Guarantee Trust Bank; Ncube; George Twumasi, CEO, African Broadcasting Network, UK and Kate Senye, CEO, Southern Africa Media Development Fund, Namibia. Marie Roger Biloa, the CEO of Africa International, France, will moderate the plenary.

There will be a gala dinner tonight to be hosted by the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr. Bukola Saraki.