A new era of collaboration and empowerment among media professionals dawned on Friday, 25 October, as the Innovative Media Partners (Surulere) Cooperative Multipurpose Society was inaugurated by the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment.
The event, directed by Mrs. Naseerat Oyindamola Dosunmu, leading a team from the Surulere, Lagos branch of the ministry, was a culmination of events following the 2nd Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in May and convened by Mr. Taiwo Obe, founder/director of The Journalism Clinic.
Before the inauguration, Mrs. Dosunmu outlined the key provisions of the cooperative’s bylaws, emphasising the importance of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. She commended the initiative, stating, “This cooperative demonstrates the power of collective action. It will not only empower the members but also contribute to the growth of the media industry in Lagos State.”
Earlier, Mr 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:
- 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.
A crucial step in the inauguration was the election and swearing-in (by Mrs Dosunmu) of the cooperative’s executives who will steer its affairs for the next two years, in the first instance, subject to renewal for another term of two years only. The new executives are:
- President: Mr. Dotun Oladipo
- Secretary: Mr. Nkanu Egbe
- Treasurer: Ms. Dolapo Otegbayi
In his acceptance speech, Mr Oladipo, who is the managing director of Eagle Online, promised to lead the cooperative to the best of his ability in fulfilling its objectives.
