The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, has urged stakeholders across the country to intensify efforts toward strengthening Nigeria’s online media landscape as the nation confronts rising misinformation and insecurity.
Speaking in Abuja during the third anniversary celebration of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), Ochogwu represented by the Deputy Director in the Office of the DG, Chukwuemeka Mbah delivered a keynote address titled “Strengthening Corporate Online Media for National Development.”
He described the theme as timely and visionary, noting that Nigeria’s peace and development are now closely tied to the integrity and professionalism of online media practitioners.
“Online media has become a cornerstone in shaping narratives, promoting accountability, and advancing national development. More than half of Nigerians now get their information online. You are not just reporters you are agenda-setters and guardians of public trust,” he stated.
Ochogwu warned that misinformation continues to aggravate tensions, especially amid growing insecurity. He referenced the November 2025 kidnapping of over 300 students and teachers in Niger State, noting that false information around the tragedy deepened public fear and eroded institutional trust.
He stressed that strengthening corporate online media will enhance good governance, transparency, peacebuilding, economic development, and citizen participation.
The IPCR DG outlined five key responsibilities for online editors:
Accuracy and factual reporting
Digital innovation
Promotion of national interest
Avoidance of sensationalism
Unity-centred reporting
He reaffirmed IPCR’s commitment to deepening its partnership with ACOE through research support, training on conflict-sensitive reporting, early-warning collaboration, and joint media literacy initiatives aimed at countering misinformation.
Ochogwu commended ACOE for its steady growth and urged online journalists to remain professional and patriotic as they shape conversations in an increasingly digital society.
