The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has announced the addition of the Lagos, Delta, Imo and Ekiti state governments, Access Bank Plc, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to the list of partners for its 10th Annual Conference.
The two-day conference is scheduled to begin in Lagos on Wednesday, with the first day focusing on digital publishing, artificial intelligence and the business of online media.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by GOCOP’s Publicity Secretary, Kemi Yesufu, the first day will feature a presentation by the Publisher of Sundiata Post, Max Amuchie, titled “The Sundiata Post Model: Building the African Newsroom for the Long Term.”
This will be followed by a presentation on “AI and Prompt Engineering for Online Publishing” by the Publisher of The Lagos Times, Biodun Durojaiye.
The final presentation will focus on “Monetisation of Digital Media Business” and will be delivered by the Publisher of Quick News, Dr Monday Ashibogwu.
The presentations will be followed by lunch with GOCOP partners, while the association’s Annual General Meeting will round off the first day.
The second day will focus on the theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.” 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 session.
The panel will feature the Commissioner of Police for Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Force Headquarters, 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.
Ahead of the conference, the Chairman of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee and GOCOP Deputy President, Olumide Iyanda, said preparations had been concluded.
“All is set for our 10th anniversary conference. We are delighted that the Lagos State Government, the Imo State Government, the Delta State Government and the Ekiti State Government, as well as Access Bank, one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, and NASENI, Nigeria’s foremost agency driving indigenous technology and industrial innovation, have joined our long list of sponsors. Their support underscores the importance of the dialogue we are convening,” Iyanda said.
The new partners join previously announced supporters, including NNPC Limited, Nigeria LNG Limited, Nigeria Customs Service, Dangote Group, Seplat Energy, 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 partners include TAJBank, Emadeb Energy, Setraco Nigeria Limited, Sovereign Trust Insurance and Nestlé Nigeria Plc. GOCOP had previously announced the support of several public and private-sector organisations for the 2026 conference.
Iyanda thanked all sponsors and partners for their support, saying their contributions would help the Guild sustain its annual conference as a platform for discussions on professional journalism, democracy and national development.
The 2026 conference marks the 10th edition of GOCOP’s annual gathering, which brings together media executives, policymakers, academics, business leaders, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to discuss issues of national importance.
GOCOP is a business membership organisation comprising 127 corporate online publishers in Nigeria.
