The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, will chair the 2024 conference of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute, scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Abuja, organisers said.

This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by Ahmed I. Shekarau, the Secretary of IPI Nigeria.

The statement further revealed the list of distinguished guests who have confirmed their attendance at the conference.

They include the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; former Ogun State governor, Olusegun Osoba; Publisher, Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka Pemu; President, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Kabiru A. Yusuf, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; and Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu

Other guests expected at the IPI Nigeria Conference include the Africa Director, MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima; Country Director, CARE, Hussaini Abdu; Founder, ThisDay/Arise, Nduka Obaigbena; former Minister of Information & Culture, Lai Mohammed; Dean, Postgraduate School, Baze University, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi and Chairman of the Editorial Board of ThisDay Newspaper, Olusegun Adeniyi.

The statement reiterated that the IPI Nigeria Conference will be held on Wednesday, 11th December, at the Abuja Continental Hotel (formerly Sheraton Hotel).

Also, the institute is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting, to elect new leadership and host its members and supporters to a dinner on 12th December at the same venue.

An earlier statement by Mr Shekarau revealed that renowned media practitioner, Professor Tonnie Iredia, would deliver a keynote on "Democracy, Media Freedom and the Imperative of Protecting Nigeria's Civic Space" at the event.

A panel of seasoned journalists has also been lined up to discuss the paper.