APPMEN INAUGURATES COUNCIL OF PATRONS TO DRIVE IMPACT, RECOGNITION AND SUSTENANCE OF PRIVATE MEDIA IN NIGERIA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 26th September, 2026

…As Former Governor Liyel Imoke Emerges Chairman, Two Royal Highnesses as Grand Patron and National Patron, Otive Igbuzor Chairs National Advisory Council…

The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN), is pleased to announce the formal constitution and investiture of its Council of Patrons, National Advisory Council (NAC) and The Nigeria We Want Ambassadors.

The investiture, which took place on 24th September, 2026 in Abuja, marks a historic progression of APPMEN from an association to a national institution for private media development, recognition and sustenance.

COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL OF PATRONS:
The Council of Patrons, as the supreme advisory body of APPMEN, is composed as follows:

1. Chairman, Council of Patrons & National Patron:
His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Amb. Liyel Imoke, CON
Former Executive Governor of Cross River State

2. Grand Patron:
His Royal Highness, Amb. Dr. Joel Sabo Aninge, PhD, MFR,
Odyong Nyankpa II

3. National Patron:
His Royal Highness, Amb. Alh. Baba Umar Faruq II, CFR,
Emir of Katagum

NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (NAC):
To provide policy and intellectual leadership for the Association, a National Advisory Council has also been constituted, chaired by renowned development expert Dr. Otive Igbuzor, PhD, Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of the Senate (9th Assembly) and Founding Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

Speaking on the development, the National Coordinator of APPMEN and Convener of The Nigeria We Want Project, Chief Precious Enebuse, said:

“For long, private media proprietors in Nigeria have operated without institutional cover, national recognition or a sustainable structure. What we have done with this Council is to give APPMEN royal legitimacy, political guidance and intellectual depth. This Council is not about any single issue. It is about three things: Building the IMPACT of private media as a tool for national development, securing national RECOGNITION for APPMEN as a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian project, and ensuring the SUSTENANCE of this Association beyond our generation. We are deeply honoured that His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katagum, a highly revered monarch, His Royal Highness, Odyong Nyankpa II, and His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Liyel Imoke, a distinguished statesman, have accepted to father this institution. With Dr. Otive Igbuzor chairing our policy brain trust, APPMEN is now in safe hands.”

Chief Enebuse further disclosed that the Council of Patrons will serve as the moral and strategic compass of the Association, while the National Advisory Council will drive policy, research and strategic engagements with government, development partners and global platforms.

About APPMEN:
The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN) is the umbrella body for private media owners and digital content creators in Nigeria, committed to professionalism, press freedom, digital economy advocacy and national development through its flagship initiative, The Nigeria We Want Project.

Signed:
Chief Precious Enebuse
National Coordinator, APPMEN
Convener, The Nigeria We Want Project