Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Rivers State council, Mr Paul Bazia-Nsaneh, has revealed the union’s plan to organize a media Summit in October 2025, with emphasis on the state after oil.
Bazia-Nsaneh stated this when he led other exco members to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Port Harcourt Regional Office, on a familiarisation tour.
In his address, the NUJ chair informed the NUPRC Regional Coordinator, Dr Musa Zagi and his Management Team, that, “having been recently elected into office, the executive deemed it necessary to pay a courtesy visit on the company, being the regulators of the nation’s oil and gas industry, especially in the upstream sector.
“Based on your important role in managing the oil and gas industry, which is the mainstay of the country’s economy, there is need for NUJ to partner with NUPRC for maximum productivity.
“The NUJ leadership has concluded arrangements to organise a Media Summit in October 2025, with emphasis on Rivers State after oil. The theme of the summit will be built around the blue economy and tourism, citing the white sand beach and wildlife along the Andoni-Oyorokoto/Bonny axis of Rivers State as typical natural tourism attraction centres for that purpose.
“This will attract investments to the State and create jobs for the teeming unemployed people.”
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NUJ Chairman added that the Council under his watch is “poised to changing the narrative from incident reportage to development journalism. We are moving away from incident or negative reportage to development journalism.
This will no doubt attract investments and create jobs for our people.
“NUJ, therefore, is opened to partnering with you in that regard, having known the crucial role NUPRC plays in regulating the oil and gas, especially the upstream.”
In their response, the Regional Coordinator of NUPRC, Dr Musa Zagi, thanked NUJ for the visit, noting that if for nothing else, his organisation should benefit from NUJ, as its next-door neighbour.
He commended the Bazia-led executive for initiating the visit, describing it as apt.
He, however, lamented the increasing incidents of wilful destruction of their trunklines and craze for compensation, despite the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Zagi said it is on this note that NUPRC Port Harcourt Regional Office is excited to hear that NUJ has planned to change the narrative from incident reportage to development Journalism.
He urged the Union to sensitise the people on the need to eschew wilful vandalisation of the nation’s oil and gas facilities, pointing out that most of their trunklines are out of service, occasioned by vandalism.
He added that ironically, while production decreases, population and expenses soar, to the detriment of the nation’s economy.
“You’re welcome to our office. Regrettably, production is decreasing, while expenses and population are on the rise. This has incidentally increased trucking on our roads, since almost all our trunklines are out of service. It is in this light that your visit to us becomes apt.
“Again, your decision to change the narrative from incident reportage to developmental journalism should be commended by all.
So we are excited by that cheering news.”
