Association of Corporate Online Editors( ACOE) to Unveil 2025 Investiture, Lecture & Awards to Deepen Online Media’s Role in Nation Building.
By Raymond Enoch
The Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) has announced its 2025 Investiture Public Lecture & Awards, billed for Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at Azikiwe Hall, Nicon Luxury Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen the strategic role of corporate online media in Nigeria’s development trajectory.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Shola Akingboye, and dated 23 November 2025, ACOE said the event, with the theme “Strengthening Corporate Online Media for National Development,” will spotlight how credible, professionally run online platforms can drive good governance, accountability, and inclusive growth in the digital age.
According to the statement, the 2025 Investiture, Lecture & Awards also coincides with the third anniversary of the association’s formal existence, marking what ACOE described as “three years of consistent advocacy for standards, ethics, and innovation in Nigeria’s online news ecosystem.” The body noted that the ceremony would double as a platform to induct new members, review its charter of operations, and unveil fresh strategies for collaboration with public and private sector institutions.
A major highlight of the event is a high-level Public Lecture expected to focus on strengthening strategic communication, enhancing media–government collaboration, investing in digital infrastructure, and promoting accountability-focused reporting that serves citizens rather than narrow interests. The lecture will bring together editors, communication experts, policymakers, tech innovators and development partners to interrogate the rapidly changing media landscape and its implications for governance and democracy.
The day will also feature a prestigious awards segment, designed to honour champions of good governance, humanitarian service, digital innovation, and national security. Notably, ACOE has dedicated part of the ceremony to posthumous awards for fallen heroes who have died in the line of duty combating insurgency, terrorism and banditry across the country since 2010 – a symbolic tribute to courage, sacrifice and patriotism.
In addition, an anniversary gala will follow the formal proceedings, during which ACOE will cut its third anniversary cake, host stakeholders to a networking dinner, and present special recognitions to individuals and institutions that have supported the growth of the association and the broader online media space.
Over 300 participants are expected to grace the event, including senior journalists and editors, heads of government agencies, legislators, representatives of diplomatic missions, security chiefs, civil society leaders, private sector executives and non-governmental organisations. ACOE said this broad participation reflects growing acknowledgment of online media as a critical arena for public discourse and national development.
Reaffirming the association’s commitment, Akingboye stressed in the statement that ACOE will continue to champion credible online journalism, advance professional development for editors and reporters, and encourage issues-based reporting that eschews fake news and sensationalism. He added that the 2025 Investiture, Lecture & Awards is conceived not just as a ceremonial outing, but as “a working platform to build a stronger, more responsible and development-driven online media community in Nigeria.”
With the Abuja convergence on Tuesday, ACOE is positioning itself as a key bridge between the digital newsroom and the policy arena – signalling that, in an era where public opinion is increasingly shaped online, the quality, integrity and capacity of corporate online editors will remain central to Nigeria’s national development conversation.
