Shogunle, Popoola, Sydney-Jack, Arogundade to Headline GOCOP’s October Conference

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has announced four panellists for its 10th annual conference, scheduled to hold on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Lagos.

The panellists are Dr Abayomi Shogunle, Commissioner of Police, Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Force Headquarters, Abuja; Prof Tayo Popoola, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos; Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, Creative Director of Gender Agenda and Founder of WEWE Network Afrique; and Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre.

They will discuss the conference theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.”

GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ms Kemi Yesufu, announced the panellists in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

Yesufu said the panellists were selected for their experience in election security, journalism, media development, civic engagement and public communication.

She said the discussion would examine the responsibilities of electoral institutions, political actors, security agencies, the media and citizens in strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

GOCOP had earlier announced that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, will deliver the keynote address.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, will chair the conference.

The event will hold at 10 a.m. at Radisson Blu Hotel, 38 to 40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

The 2026 conference marks the 10th edition of the GOCOP annual conference, which brings together media executives, policymakers, academics, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to discuss issues of national importance.

GOCOP is a business membership organisation of 127 online publications in Nigeria. Its members are media entrepreneurs who own and operate digital publishing businesses across the country.

The Guild promotes the business and ethics of online publishing, professional standards and the collective interests of its members. It also works to strengthen the sustainability and credibility of digital journalism in Nigeria.