Princess Agbonifo-led council promises professionalism, protection and prosperity as Chief Precious Enebuse charges media proprietors to unite and strengthen their industry.
The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN) has inaugurated its Lagos State Council, launching a fresh drive to protect private media owners, promote professional journalism and improve the financial sustainability of media businesses.
The inauguration took place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at No. 133, Idimu Ejigbo Road, Alimosho, Lagos, with APPMEN National Coordinator, Chief Precious Enebuse, performing the ceremony virtually from Abuja via Zoom.
The event brought together proprietors of private media establishments and other stakeholders, marking a significant step in the association’s efforts to strengthen its presence in Nigeria’s media industry.
Addressing members, Enebuse described Lagos as a strategic centre of Nigeria’s media industry, insisting that private media proprietors needed a stronger collective voice to confront the challenges facing their businesses.
“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 said.
He charged the new council to unite media proprietors, promote development journalism and create opportunities for members to grow their businesses through professional training, grants and corporate partnerships.
Enebuse also expressed confidence in the new leadership, naming Princess Agbonifo as State Coordinator and Onome Naomi Onojaefe as a key member of the team.
He said the council must prioritise professionalism, purposeful journalism and the economic advancement of private media practitioners.
In her acceptance speech, Agbonifo declared that the inauguration represented a collective victory for private media owners rather than an individual achievement.
“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 a three-point agenda built around Professionalism, Protection and Prosperity, describing the pillars as essential to building a stronger and more sustainable private media sector.
Under professionalism, the council plans to organise quarterly masterclasses in fact-checking, investigative reporting, monetisation and the use of artificial intelligence tools through the APPMEN Institute for Communication and Media Studies.
The council also pledged to promote self-regulation and responsible journalism as part of efforts to tackle misinformation and improve public confidence in private media.
On protection, Agbonifo announced plans to establish a Rapid Response Desk to assist members facing alleged harassment, threats or intimidation in the course of their professional duties.
She said the council would engage the Lagos State Government, police and Department of State Services (DSS) to address concerns affecting journalists and media proprietors.
Under the prosperity pillar, the council plans to engage banks, telecommunications companies, real estate firms and other corporate organisations to secure advertising and business opportunities for members.
It also intends to establish an APPMEN Lagos Cooperative to support members in accessing monetisation opportunities, grants and loans.
Setting a target for the initiative, Agbonifo said she wanted every financially active member to have earned money through the council on or before October 2027.
“Professionalism will give us RESPECT. Protection will give us SAFETY. Prosperity will give us SUSTAINABILITY,” she declared.
In a goodwill message, APPMEN’s Grand Patron described Lagos as the cradle and powerhouse of the African press, citing the establishment of Iwe Irohin in 1859 by Reverend Henry Townsend as a landmark in Nigerian journalism.
He urged the new council to uphold professional standards, bridge the gap between traditional media and digital content creators, and strengthen fact-checking and rapid-response mechanisms.
He also called for the creation of an APPMEN Lagos Advertising Network to enable media businesses to pursue advertising opportunities collectively.
According to him, greater cooperation among media proprietors would improve their bargaining power and open new avenues for revenue generation.
At the end of the ceremony, the newly inaugurated council adopted a communique reaffirming its loyalty to the APPMEN National Secretariat and its commitment to the three-point agenda.
The council also called on unregistered private media proprietors operating in Lagos to join the association and participate in its programmes.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by the State Publicity Secretary, Onome Naomi Onojaefe, followed by group photographs and networking among participants.
