By Abdullahi Lukman
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria will on Wednesday, inaugurate its new national headquarters and Press Freedom Hub in Abuja as part of activities marking World Press Freedom Day.
The facility, situated along Kado Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory, will serve as the organisation’s operational centre for promoting press freedom, supporting journalists, and responding to threats against media practitioners in Nigeria.
IPI Nigeria Secretary, Ahmed I. Shekarau, said the hub will strengthen advocacy programmes and enhance efforts to protect journalists from censorship and other risks in the course of their work.
President of IPI Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, explained that the centre will also be used for regular reviews of press freedom conditions and journalist safety in the country.
According to him, it will help advance policy and legal reforms aimed at strengthening independent journalism, while also creating a platform for engagement between media stakeholders and government.
IPI Nigeria is the local chapter of the International Press Institute, a global network of editors, media leaders, and journalists across more than 100 countries, established in 1950 to promote and defend press freedom.
The Nigerian chapter, registered in the 1970s, was founded by prominent media figures including the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the late Alhaji Ismaila Isa Funtua, Chief Segun Osoba, the late Malam Wada Maida, and Chief Sam Amuka-Pemu.
Since its establishment, IPI Nigeria has remained active in advocating press freedom, supporting independent journalism, and promoting the safety of journalists in the country.
