By Comrade Zannah Ibrahim Mustapha Public Relations Officer RATTAWU Lagos State Council 20th July, 2026
The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) has unveiled a bold roadmap towards its Golden Jubilee while calling on journalists, media owners, government institutions and communication professionals to uphold ethical journalism as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
A major highlight of the one-day summit was the active participation of the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, who was represented by the Deputy Director Training, Lagos office, Mrs. Ugonma Cokey. The VON Director General was accorded special recognition during the Golden Honours presentation and several high-level engagements at the summit in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to media development, professional excellence and the promotion of Nigeria’s global voice. His representative joined other distinguished media executives, policymakers and communication experts in advancing discussions on responsible journalism, democratic values and the future of the media in the Artificial Intelligence era.
The resolutions were adopted at the RATTAWU Safe Democracy Summit and Golden Honours, themed “Electoral Integrity in an AI Era: The Role of Responsible Media and Culture in Safeguarding Democracy,” attended by leading media executives, communication scholars, public relations professionals, labour leaders and policymakers.
The summit, presided over by RATTAWU Golden Era President, Vice President of UNI-MEI and Titular of UNI-GLOBAL, Comrade Prince Emeka Kalu, reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to professional excellence, workers’ welfare, democratic values and media responsibility in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
The event featured goodwill messages from the President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, fnipr, while the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, fnipr, declared the summit open and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to responsible information management, national orientation and ethical journalism.
The Minister was represented by Dr. Sulaiman Haruna, a senior management official of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation. Along with his counterpart Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, equally represented by the Zonal Director, South West, Federal Ministry of Labor Madam Mienye Badejo.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, mnipr, President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, warned that Artificial Intelligence presents enormous opportunities as well as unprecedented threats to democratic processes.
He observed that Nigeria’s electoral system has evolved from manual paper-and-pen voting to technologically driven processes but cautioned that the rise of AI-generated misinformation, fake content, hate speech and coordinated disinformation campaigns could erode public confidence if left unchecked.
The communication scholar urged journalists, editors and media organisations to verify every piece of information before publication, rely on credible and official sources, strengthen newsroom fact-checking mechanisms and establish strategic partnerships with independent fact-checking organisations.
He stressed that ethical journalism, responsible broadcasting and professional communication remain indispensable to safeguarding democracy, particularly as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections. Participants unanimously agreed that democracy can only thrive where the media remains accurate, accountable, independent and technologically responsible.
Another major highlight of the summit was the presentation of the prestigious RATTAWU Golden Era Humanitarian Award to the National President of the Nigerian Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), High Chief Tochukwu Emmanuel, in recognition of his outstanding humanitarian services, philanthropy, visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to national development.
Presenting the award, Comrade Prince Emeka Kalu described High Chief Emmanuel as a compassionate leader whose sustained interventions in humanitarian causes, youth empowerment and community development have transformed lives across Nigeria. He noted that the honour reflects RATTAWU’s commitment to celebrating exceptional individuals whose selfless service inspires hope, strengthens national unity and advances sustainable development.
In his acceptance remarks, High Chief Tochukwu Emmanuel expressed appreciation to RATTAWU for the honour and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives that promote human dignity, social justice, peacebuilding and inclusive national development.
