HISTORY IN LAGOS: APPMEN INAUGURATES LAGOS STATE COUNCIL AS MEDIA POWERHOUSE ROARS TO LIFE
…Chief Precious Enebuse, National Coordinator, Inaugurates Princess Agbonifo-led Council via Zoom from Abuja…
…Grand Patron Declares Lagos “Cradle and Powerhouse of African Press”…
LAGOS, NIGERIA, Saturday, 10th October, 2026
It was history, it was power, it was purpose.
The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN) today, Saturday 10th October, 2026, successfully inaugurated its Lagos State Council at a landmark ceremony held at No. 133, Idimu Ejigbo Road, Alimosho, Lagos.
The ceremony, which brought together proprietors of private media establishments across Lagos, was formally inaugurated virtually by the National Coordinator, Chief Precious Enebuse, who joined live via Zoom from the National Secretariat in Abuja.
CHIEF ENEBUSE: LAGOS IS THE HEARTBEAT, I GAVE IT TO A HISTORY-MAKER
In his historic keynote address at 11:00 AM, Chief Enebuse apologized for his physical absence due to national assignment but declared that technology must serve leadership.
“Today is not just another meeting. Today is history. For the first time since the formation of APPMEN, we are inaugurating our engine room, our heartbeat, our headquarters of media in Africa, LAGOS STATE COUNCIL,” Chief Enebuse declared.
“Lagos is not just a state. Lagos is the media capital of Africa. If you can conquer media in Lagos, you have conquered media in Nigeria. Private media owners are the most oppressed and the least protected, we own the platforms, we pay staff, we generate content, but we have no voice. APPMEN is that voice.”
He formally charged the new leadership, stating:
“I did not give Lagos to anybody. I gave Lagos to a tested, trusted, tenacious woman, Princess Agbonifo. And to support her, I give you a firebrand, a digital Amazon, Onome Naomi Onojaefe.”
Speaking on the theme VOICE, VISION, PURPOSE, he said Lagos must give a loud, united voice to private media, move from gossip journalism to development journalism, and make members prosper through trainings via the APPMEN Institute for Communication and Media Studies, grants and corporate partnerships.
He thereafter, by powers conferred on him as National Coordinator, officially inaugurated the Council.
PRINCESS AGBONIFO TAKES OATH, UNVEILS 3-POINT AGENDA: THE 3 Ps
In an emotional acceptance speech, the new State Coordinator, Princess Agbonifo, described the day as “OUR inauguration, not my inauguration.”
“I know the pain of being a private media owner in Lagos, buying data with your last money and still being called ‘small blogger.’ Today, that story ends. Today, APPMEN Lagos begins,” she said.
She unveiled her covenant tagged THE 3 Ps:
- PROFESSIONALISM: Quarterly Masterclasses on Fact-Checking, Investigative Reporting, Monetization and AI Tools through the instrumentality of the APPMEN Institute for Communication and Media Studies. Self-regulation to end fake news.
- PROTECTION: Establishment of a Rapid Response Desk. “If you are harassed, threatened or intimidated anywhere in Lagos because of your job, you call me first.” Formal engagement with Lagos State Government, Police and DSS.
- PROSPERITY: Leading a delegation to corporate Lagos, banks, telecoms, real estate, for bulk adverts. Establishment of APPMEN Lagos Cooperative as branch from National Secretariat to facilitate Meta, Google, YouTube monetization, grants and loans. She set a target: On or before October 2027, every financial member must have made money through the Council.
“Professionalism will give us RESPECT. Protection will give us SAFETY. Prosperity will give us SUSTAINABILITY,” she declared.
GRAND PATRON: LAGOS IS THE CRADLE WHERE NIGERIAN PRESS WAS BORN IN 1859
In a powerful Message from the Grand Patron, he described Lagos as the Cradle and Powerhouse of the African Press, reminding members that it was in Lagos in 1859 that Rev. Henry Townsend birthed Iwe Irohin, the first newspaper in Nigeria.
“Lagos remains the powerhouse. Today, over 70% of Nigeria’s private media decisions happen from this Centre of Excellence,” the Grand Patron stated.
He gave four charges:
- Lead by Standard, Not by Noise, Let the APPMEN Certified Seal start from Lagos.
- Be the Bridge Between Old and New, Honor traditional press but embrace TikTokers, YouTubers, Podcasters.
- Turn Information into Stability, Launch immediately the APPMEN Lagos Fact-Check Hub and Rapid Response Desk.
- Prosper Together, Create the APPMEN Lagos Ad Network. What one blog cannot get, a Council of 500 can command.
He declared 10/10/2026 as a date of perfect alignment to align private media for a more informed, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
COMMUNIQUE AND NEXT STEPS
The Council also issued a communique resolving to be loyal to the National Secretariat, to pursue Professionalism, Protection and Prosperity, and calling on all unregistered private media proprietors in Lagos to join immediately.
The inauguration ended with a vote of thanks by the State Publicity Secretary, Onome Naomi Onojaefe, group photographs and networking.
Signed:
Comrade Onome Naomi Onojaefe
State Publicity Secretary
APPMEN Lagos State Council
For: National Secretariat
http://www.appmen.org.ng
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