The International Press Institute (IPI) has commended its Nigerian National Committee for the leading role it is playing in the affairs of the world press freedom body.
IPI director, Frane Maroevic, and board chair, Khadija Patel, made this commendation at the meeting of the IPI executive board held in Vienna, Austria.
Maroevic told board members that IPI Nigeria had carried out reforms that have helped it in organising and carrying out press freedom activities worthy of emulation by other national committees.
“The Nigerian National Committee is well-organised and extremely active. It is not only organising, it is active in the training of our members in Nigeria. The IPI National Committee in Nigeria is a good example of how a national committee should operate,” he said.
Maroevic expressed IPI leadership’s desire to collaborate with the Nigerian chapter on press freedom activities directly addressing the Nigerian representative on the board.
He said: “We see a great value in what you (IPI Nigeria) is doing. You are doing very well; we will publish your activities. And do involve us in your planning.”
Speaking in the same vein, IPI Board Chair, Khadija Patel said they regard the Nigerian National Committee very highly and are committed to enhancing the work of the international body.
The board is already planning to give Nigeria the privilege to host a regional (Africa) IPI National Committees summit later in the year.
It considered and approved the IPI budget for 2024, the IPI Strategy and the budget for the 2024 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The board meeting was followed immediately by an IPI Africa Strategy meeting, held at the instance of the Nigerian representative and attended physically by Khadija Patel, IPI chair and chair, journalist-in-Residence, International Fund for Public Interest Media.