The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishments of Nigeria (APPMEN) has constituted and inaugurated a Council of Patrons and National Advisory Council as part of efforts to strengthen the private media sector and deepen its impact on national development.
The investiture, held in Abuja on Thursday, September 24, 2026, also featured the unveiling of The Nigeria We Want Ambassadors, marking what the association described as a major step in transforming APPMEN from an association into a national institution for private media development, recognition and sustainability.
Former Cross River State Governor, Distinguished Senator Liyel Imoke, emerged Chairman of the Council of Patrons and National Patron.
Two traditional rulers were also appointed to the council, with His Royal Highness, Amb. Dr. Joel Sabo Aninge, Odyong Nyankpa II, emerging Grand Patron, while His Royal Highness, Amb. Alh. Baba Umar Faruq II, CFR, Emir of Katagum, was appointed National Patron.
The association also constituted a National Advisory Council (NAC), chaired by development expert Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of the Senate in the 9th Assembly and Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).
Speaking on the development, National Coordinator of APPMEN and Convener of The Nigeria We Want Project, Chief Precious Enebuse, said the new structure was designed to address the long-standing institutional challenges confronting private media proprietors across the country.
“For long, private media proprietors in Nigeria have operated without institutional cover, national recognition or a sustainable structure,” Enebuse said.
He said the Council would focus on three major objectives: strengthening the impact of private media as an instrument of national development, securing national recognition for APPMEN as a critical stakeholder and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the association.
Enebuse expressed appreciation to Imoke and the two royal fathers for accepting to provide leadership and guidance to the association, while describing the appointment of Igbuzor as chairman of the NAC as a major addition to APPMEN’s policy and intellectual capacity.
According to him, the Council of Patrons will serve as the moral and strategic compass of the association, while the National Advisory Council will lead policy development, research and strategic engagements with government, development partners and international platforms.
The APPMEN leadership said the new institutional framework would also position private media proprietors and digital content creators to play a more effective role in shaping national discourse, promoting professionalism and contributing to Nigeria’s development.
The association described the inauguration as a significant milestone in its efforts to build a stronger institutional platform for private media owners and digital content creators across Nigeria.
APPMEN is an umbrella body for private media owners and digital content creators in Nigeria, with stated interests in professionalism, press freedom, digital economy advocacy and national development through its flagship initiative, The Nigeria We Want Project.
