Date: 2018-04-09

All arrangements are being concluded to host journalists from across the world in Nigeria by the twenty first to the twenty third of June this year in Abuja ,the Federal capital Territory.

Already, various committees have been put in place for the world congress which is the first if it's kind in the country under the International Press Institute (IPI) which is the umbrella body of all journalists across the world.

The Chairman , Sub-publicity committee of the world Congress, Doctor Tonnie Iredia disclosed this in Ilorin , the Kwara Stare capital while answering questions on a Radio Kwara personality interview programme, Playing Host.

Doctor Iredia , a one time Director -General of Nigerian Television Authority and now a visiting professor of Broadcast management and Media law urged the government to join hands in ensuring the success of the event by creating a conducive environment for the foreign journalists who initially have a negative impression about third world countries including Nigeria and as well sponsor journalists as delegates to the congress.

The veteran broadcaster noted that there are lots of opportunities the nation would benefit from the congress as world ambassador during the event while the foreign journalists would have a first hand and practical experience about Africa and Nigeria in particular .

Doctor Iredia lamented that Nigeria is one of the third world countries whose images and activities are not well projected to the outside world as the flow of coverage of her activities is as low as one percent and the one percent is restricted to negativity .

Answering another question, the former Director General of NTA described digitization as the highest level of technology across the world as it makes the voice in broadcasting not only clearer , but the voice of the news caster cleaner and one has the opportunity to listen to or watch more chanels unlike analogue that has just one Chanel.

He expressed regret that many countries including Nigeria have been rather slow in embracing digitization despite the fact that the International Telecommunications Union had since given a deadline to transit from analogue to digital system though commended the present administration for keying into the project.

Doctor Iredia appealed to the government to empower the media which he described as the mouth piece of the people and ensure that professional journalists are appointed to head media houses so as to demonstrate professionalism and ensure that journalists are well paid as at when due to guide against involving in unethical practices.