The former President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers was among others who are members of the pioneer Executive Committee.

Other pioneer executive committee members of the IMPCMS are Nkanu Egbe, who is the General Secretary, and Dolapo Otegbayi as the Treasurer.

Oladipo, Egbe and Otegbeyi 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.

The inauguration, directed by Naseerat Oyindamola Dosunmu, who led a team from the Surulere, Lagos State branch of the ministry, was a culmination of events that followed the Second Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in May 2024, convened by Taiwo Obe, the Founder and Director of The Journalism Clinic.

Before the inauguration, 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.”

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.

Dosunmu also 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.

The initial three-member executive, Dosunmu said, is expected to bring others on board, subject to the agreement of members.

In his acceptance speech, Oladipo promised to lead the cooperative to the best of his ability in fulfilling its objectives.

Chigbo was initially elected in 2021 and she took over from the publisher of The Eagle Online, Mr. Dotun Oladipo who completed his two terms in office as president.

With this development, Maureen Chigbo became the fourth President of GOCOP following a successful 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, October 4, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly Sheraton, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Equally re-elected were Mr Danlami Nmodu as the Deputy President,  Mr Ken Ugbechie as Vice President, South; and Mr Tom Chaiheman as the Vice President, North; Mr Collins Edomaruse returned as General Secretary, likewise Mr Olumide Iyanda as Deputy Secretary-General.

Equally returned were Remmy Nweke as Publicity Secretary, Azuh Arinze as Financial Secretary, and Mrs Yemisi Izuora as the Treasurer.

Additionally at the AGM, Messrs Max Amuchie, Horatius Egua, James Ume; Akeem Oyetunji; Raymond Ukaegbu and Tony Edike were elected Zonal Coordinators for the North Central; North East, North West, South West, South-South and South East in that order.

Speaking after the re-election on behalf of her NEC for another term, Maureen Chigbo appreciated GOCOP members for the confidence on her team, pledging they will strive to deliberately position GOCOP for continuous growth and recognition in the market place.

The 2023 GOCOP Election Committee was chaired by Yusuf Ozi-Usman, publisher of Greenberg Reporters while Victoria Ibanga of NewEdition was the Secretary.  Other members of the committee include Dr. Monday Ashibogwu of QuickNews; Kemi Yesufu of Frontline News Online, and Barr. Afolabi Odeyemi of YouNews as Legal Adviser.

GOCOP, a registered non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit organisation, comprises owners of online publications.

The newly re-elected NEC were inaugurated on Thursday, October 5, 2023 in Abuja at the ceremony witnessed by the chairman of this year’s conference, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).