Of late, the public sphere in Nigeria has neither been full of analytically electrifying nor of ideologically high minded takes. Perhaps, the break will come upper Thursday when News Express stages its well known annual ritual to commemorate seven long years in the market. That is the online newspaper called News Express which is offering Nigeria a platform for reflections that day at the 7th Anniversary Lecture in Lagos. Mr. Isaac Ummuna, the publisher of News Express has kept the event in the news long before and during the week, updating all who may have anything to do with journalism, business and public affairs generally that it is upcoming.
Mr Umunna, publisher of News Express
So far, News Express has confirmed three resource persons who will lead the discussions that day. There is Peter Obi, the shrill, passionate voice for thriftiness in public office who never lets a public speaking opportunity slip by without him harping on how that is doable, citing his own handling of public resources when he was governor of Anambra State years back. There will also be Ebun-Ola Adegboruwa aka ‘Big Sam’, a former president of Obafemi Awolowo University Students Union Government. One of the newly minted Senior Advocate of Nigeria, this might be the occasion he is likely to use to defend a testament on Nigeria. The last name on the list is another lawyer and politician, Barrister Bashir Maidugu. But, according to Mr Ummuna, he is not a run of the mill politician but also a Development Expert.
The subject matter around which these and other gentlemen will jaw-jaw that Thursday at Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Ikeja, Lagos is “Getting Nigeria Out of the Woods – A New Thinking”
Activist lawyer, Adegboruwa, (SAN)
Development Analyst and lawyer, Madugu
While former governor, Obi will be the Special Guest of Honour and Guest Speaker at the occasion, Adegboruwa and Maidugu would serve as Keynote Speakers. News Express is excited they have accepted to do so. “We are grateful to these distinguished men of ideas for accepting to dissect Nigeria’s economic cum developmental challenges and propose the ways out, during the 7th News Express Anniversary Lecture,” Umunna said.
Former Vice-presidential candidate of the PDP, Peter Obi
He is optimistic this years’ edition would be like the previous ones – well attended by a cross section of the society – from top government functionaries to industry and religious leaders, professional groups and sectorial leaders. The plan is to stream the event live to a global audience and broadcast it on News Express Digital TV, it was further stated.
Having been set up on August 29, 2012, News Express is now one of the online newspapers established enough in itself, professionally and businesswise. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people around the world patronise it for home news, business news and sundry stuff.
