Ford Foundation Director to deliver lecture at 4th Penpushing media anniversary
The Regional Director for West Africa, Ford Foundation, Dr Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye is to deliver lecture at the 4th edition annual lecture of Penpushing media scheduled to hold July 21, 2022 in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital.
Penpushing reports that a statement by the Planning Committee headed by Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and Hafsat Abiola-Costello, as Secretary said the theme of the lecture is ‘Social Media Regulation: Insecurity and Elections Accountability in Nigeria’
The statement added that, the committee is putting all necessary arrangements in place for a befitting and educative anniversary lecture, which will take place from 9.30am at the marquee events centre of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Penpushing further reports that, the key note speaker is a respected leader on the African continent with over 20 years in the social change sector who brings many years of extensive experience leading diverse international development organizations, and managing country programmes, donor projects and country strategies in West Africa and across Africa.
The lecturer as the Ford Foundation Regional Director, oversees the foundation’s local team, external relations and administrative operations in West Africa, and also leads on program strategy development and implementation in the region, with a focus on advancing democracy, human rights and social inclusion for all especially youth, women and people with disabilities.
Penpushing also reports that, throughout her career, Aniagolu-Okoye has designed and implemented strategies at regional and global organizations on key social issues such as improving governance, reducing poverty, advancing transparency in the extractives sector, and furthering women and girl’s empowerment – all through engaging civil society as well as the public and private sectors.
The keynote speaker, before Ford Foundation was most recently the Country Director of Technoserve, an international Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) that provides business solutions to poverty with women at the heart of the work.
Penpushing reports that, prior to this, she was the Country Director for WaterAid in Nigeria where she provided grants to civil society organizations advocating for improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services and strengthening civil society networks, including one focused on journalists dedicated to telling more accurate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) stories.
The Ford Foundation boss before WaterAid, led Girl Effect, an initiative of the Nike Foundation focused on girls’ empowerment, and also served as Country Director for Oxfam/Nigeria, and at Oxfam, she led strategies on reducing inequalities through initiatives on tax and gender justice, gender-based violence and transparency in the extractives sector.
Penpushing further reports that, earlier in her career Aniagolu-Okoye was Deputy Program Director of a European Union project focused on reforming public sector service delivery with more efficient management of public finances, budget reform and accountability in six Nigerian states.
The guest speaker prior to that, was the West Africa Director for ASHOKA Innovators for the Public, focusing on advancing social entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, while she was also a lecturer at the University College Cork and University of Limerick both in the Republic of Ireland teaching Sociology of Development and Gender Studies.
Penpushing also reports that, Aniagolu-Okoye holds a Ph.D and Masters in Sociology specializing in Gender and Development from University College Cork in Ireland, and a B.Sc in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and she started the first Women Studies Journal “In from the Shadows,” which focused on gender issues in Ireland.
The other members of the planning committee include: Eddy Ademosu, Yemisi Fadairo, Bimbo Alagbe, Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo, Peju Osoba,Bimbo Alagbe and Sina Adefolahan, while the editorial board is headed by Funke Fadugba and other members include Eddy Aina, Goke Rauf, Femi Shodunke,Yemisi Fadairo and Barrister Benjamin Ogunmodede(Legal Adviser)
The founder, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji said, Penpushing has been robustly nurtured on the journalistic ideology of adding value to journalism worldwide, by ensuring credible sources of news around the world, explaining that the journey started on July 19, 2016 on a social media platform with 256 members at inception, adding that, as it progresses , a lecture, which has become a regular project aimed at adding value to the noble profession of journalism, was introduced.
‘Penpushing, which has become a famous global news dissemination platform, got its certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on June 1, 2017, with its corporate headquarters located at Press Centre, Iwe-Iroyin House Premises, Abeokuta, a branch at Moshood Abiola International Trade Fair Complex, Abeokuta the Ogun State Capital, Nigeria, and has another contact office at 403 -2940 Jane Street, Toronto, ON M3N 2V4, Canada in North America’, he said.
‘Penpushing is indeed set to correct and tackle the menace of fake news which is almost becoming daily occurrence in the world with its greater negative impact in our clime, particularly owing to myriad of online communication channels’,Kayode-Adedeji said.
‘Similarly, it aims to revive the dwindling fortune of journalism practice and be a credible platform for genuine news to its readers across the globe, and In line with our mission we shall consciously want to err on the side of caution to authenticate news for dissemination on Penpushing platform’, he emphasised.
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