Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, have confirmed their participation at the fifth annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).

The two-day conference with the theme “COVID-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria” will take place at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja. 

A statement by GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Olumide Iyanda, disclosed that Mr. Sanwo-Olu’s presence was confirmed to the conference organising committee by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho. 

Mr. Mustapha’s participation was confirmed by a letter dated September 14, 2021, and signed by the Permanent Secretary – General Service Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri.

The conference will open on Wednesday, October 6 with a business session which will have Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed; Group Executive Editor of DigitalSENSE Africa Media Ltd, Remmy Nweke, and Editor-in-Chief/CEO of NATIONAL ACCORD, Tom Chiahemen, as facilitators. Corporate affairs managers from the public and private sectors will also be hosted to lunch on the opening day of the conference.

All programmes on the opening day are strictly by invitation. Governor Sanwo-Olu will be chairman on the second day of the conference, Thursday, October 7, when the SGF will deliver a keynote address on the conference theme. Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, and Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Yahaya Disu, will serve as panelists. 

The choice of topic and speakers at the conference was informed by contemporary political, economic, security, socio-cultural challenges facing Nigeria occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, which has crippled socio-cultural and economic activities not only in Nigeria but around the world and the concerted efforts made nationally and globally to tame the scourge, the statement by GOCOP said.