Nigerian Guild of Editors shifts 2025 conference to November 12–13 in Abuja. Tinubu confirmed to attend as special guest of honour
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the elite professional body of Managing Directors, Directors of News and Editors of print, online, news agency and broadcast organisations, has announced a shift of its All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2025 to November 12-13, 2025.
The Guild said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given his commitment to declare the conference open on November 12, 2025 as Special Guest of Honour in Abuja.
In a press statement by Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, President and General Secretary respectively, on Friday, the NGE said the change of date was due to circumstances beyond its control.
The media body apologised to its members, all invited guests and the general public for the inconvenience the change of date may cause them.
The Guild said that the conference venue remains Abuja, while giving assurance that the event will be a veritable platform to dissect issues that would sustain national cohesion and development in the country.
According to the statement, “The Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) regrets to inform members, invited guests and the general public that due to circumstances beyond its control, the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2025 has been shifted to November 12-13, 2025. The venue remains the same (Abuja).
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this change of date may cause you.
“We promise that despite the change of date, the ANEC 2025 would be a credible platform to discuss and proffer solutions to issues pertaining to national development and cohesion.
“President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will declare the conference open, while dignitaries from government, academia, media, organised private sector and diplomatic corps are expected to attend.”
The Guild said that the theme of the conference remains: “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” with sub-theme as: “Electoral Integrity and Trust Deficit: What Nigerians Expect in 2027.”
The NGE said that there will be a keynote address on the theme and sub-theme, with other engaging papers to be delivered at the two-day conference.
According to the Guild, other papers to be delivered at the conference include: “Election Disputes and Judicial Integrity: Navigating the Thin Line Between Law and Politics” by Prof Awa Kalu, SAN,
Managing Partner, Awa Kalu & Partners, and “State of the Nation: Imperative of Economic and Political Reforms in Challenged Nation” by Prof Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, HOD, Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja.
Other papers are “The Evolving Face of Journalism: Battling Misinformation, AI Disruption, and Credibility Gap” by Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, Baze University, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, and “Media, Terrorism, and National Security: Addressing the Complexities” by General Lucky Irabor (retd), former Chief of Defence Staff.
The NGE said that there will be an Executive Session on the second day of the conference where editors will interrogate government officials, political and business leaders.
The ANEC holds every year for editors to address and discuss national issues that have social, economic and political consequences in Nigeria.
The Guild said that this year’s ANEC will see no fewer than 500 members converging on Abuja and is designed to provide a platform for editors/media executives to explore ways to promote national development and cohesion through responsible and responsive journalism.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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