By Gbemiga Olamikan.
The Publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, has emerged as the President of the Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society as Nkanu Egbe emerged as General Secretary while Dolapo Otegbayi as the Treasurer. They 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, under the direction of Naseerat Oyindamola Dosunmu, who led a team from Surulere, Lagos State branch of the ministry, to the event. This was the result of the Second Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in May 2024, convened by Taiwo Obe, the Founder and Director of The Journalism Clinic.
At the inauguration, Naseerat Dosunmu commended the initiative, stated that “this cooperative demonstrates the power of collective action”. She said “it will not only empower the members, but also contribute to the growth of the media industry in Lagos State.” She then emphasized on the key provisions of the cooperative’s bylaws, which is transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. She however charges the initial three-member executive to bring others on board, subject to the agreement of members as she 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.
In his acceptance speech, President Dotun Oladipo promised to lead the cooperative to the best of his ability in fulfilling its objectives. The General Secretary, Nkanu 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 which are: 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.
