Year: 2024

The Publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, has emerged as the President of the Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society. The former President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers was among others who are members of the pioneer Executive Committee. Other pioneer executive committee members of the IMPCMS are Nkanu Egbe, who is the General Secretary, and Dolapo Otegbayi as the Treasurer. Oladipo, Egbe and Otegbeyi were endorsed for the position at the inaugural meeting of the IMPCMS on October 25, 2024, which birthed a new era of collaboration and empowerment among media professionals. The IMPCMS was inaugurated by the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment. The inauguration, directed by Naseerat Oyindamola Dosunmu, who led a team from the Surulere, Lagos State branch of the ministry, was a culmination of events that followed the Second Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in May 2024, convened by Taiwo Obe, the Founder and Director of The Journalism Clinic. Before the inauguration, Dosunmu outlined the key provisions of the cooperative’s bylaws, emphasising the importance of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. She commended the initiative, stating: “This cooperative demonstrates the power of collective action. “It will not only empower the members, but also contribute to the growth of the media industry in Lagos State.” Egbe, who had been coordinating events of the cooperative following its formation, provided an insightful overview of its vision, mission, and goals. He highlighted the following key objectives: Resource Sharing: Providing access to shared tools and facilities to reduce costs and enhance production quality; Training and Development: Offering workshops, seminars, and mentorship programmes to upskill members and stay abreast of industry trends; Collaborative Projects: Fostering and championing joint projects of interest to the members; Networking Opportunities: Creating a strong network of media professionals to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing. Dosunmu also inaugurated Oladipo, Egbe and Otegbayi to steer the affairs of the IMPCMS for the next two years, in the first instance, subject to renewal for another term of two years only. The initial three-member executive, Dosunmu said, is expected to bring others on board, subject to the agreement of members. In his acceptance speech, Oladipo promised to lead the cooperative to the best of his ability in fulfilling its objectives.