The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) annual conference has been scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. The conference, which is the ninth in the series, is themed: Reconciling Campaign Promises with Governance Realities: Challenges and Prospects.

A press statement by the publicity secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, quoted the conference planning committee chairman, Danlami Nmodu mni, as saying that the event was aimed at generating actionable strategies for bridging the gap between electoral promises and effective governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Nmodu who doubles as the Deputy President of GOCOP also revealed that the conference will feature a distinguished keynote speaker and a panel of discussants.

Nweke recalled that past GOCOP conferences had hosted prominent speakers including Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto who delivered the 2019 lecture on “Economy, Security and National Development: The Way Forward”.

In 2021, Mr. Boss Mustapha, then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, keynoted the Conference in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19. He spoke on: “Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria”.

In 2022, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), delivered the keynote titled “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”

The 2023 edition which held in Abuja had the theme, Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability, was keynoted by Professor Uche Uwaleke, a Professor of Capital Market.

GOCOP, a professional body comprising 119 member organisations, was founded to uphold the tenets of journalism in the digital age. Its members are seasoned editors and senior journalists who have transitioned from traditional media to online publishing.

The statement noted that “the conference offers unique sponsorship opportunities for brand visibility, media recognition, and networking with high-level journalists, editors, and policy influencers.

Through partnership with GOCOP, organisations demonstrate their commitment and promotion to ethical journalism and responsible media, the statement said.