The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) will hold its 10th Annual Conference on Thursday, October 8, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, with discussions centred on building trust and transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The conference will be held under the theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.” GOCOP said the event would bring together media executives, policymakers, academics, civil society leaders and other stakeholders to examine their roles in strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, is expected to deliver the keynote address, while the Founding Partner of Olisa Agbakoba Legal and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, will chair the proceedings.
Amupitan has been the INEC chairman since October 2025, while the commission has continued preparations for the 2027 general elections under his leadership.
Confirmed panellists include the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Dr Abayomi Shogunle; Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, Professor Tayo Popoola; Creative Director of Gender Agenda and Founder of WEWE Network Afrique, Adaora Sydney-Jack; and Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade.
According to GOCOP Deputy President and Chairman of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee, Olumide Iyanda, the conference will examine the responsibilities of electoral institutions, political parties and candidates, security agencies, the media, civil society and citizens in promoting credible elections.
“The 2027 elections will be about more than what INEC does on election day. The credibility of the process will depend on the conduct of institutions, political parties and candidates, the media, civil society and the electorate,” Iyanda said.
GOCOP has also announced a list of partners supporting the conference, including the Lagos State Government, Imo State Government, Ekiti State Government, NNPC Limited, Nigeria LNG Limited, Nigeria Customs Service, Dangote Group, Seplat, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Nigerian Communications Commission, Bank of Industry, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other private-sector supporters include TAJBank, Emadeb Energy, Setraco Limited, Sovereign Trust Insurance and Nestlé Nigeria Plc.
The conference is scheduled to begin at 10am at the Radisson Blu Hotel, 38–40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
GOCOP said the 10th edition marks a decade of its annual conference series, which has provided a platform for dialogue, advocacy and thought leadership on issues of national importance.
