By Emeka Amaefula
CORRESPONDENTS’ WEEK 2026: MEDIA PRACTITIONERS CONVERGE IN PORT HARCOURT TO ADVOCATE NIGER DELTA ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP
The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, is set to commence its much-anticipated 2026 Correspondents’ Week with a grand opening ceremony scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026.
The week-long programme is expected to attract media professionals, government officials, traditional rulers, environmental experts, civil society groups, and other critical stakeholders. The opening ceremony will hold at the prestigious Royal Banquet Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, beginning at 10:00 a.m. prompt.
This year’s theme, “The Imperative of Comprehensive Clean-up of the Niger Delta Environment: Role of the Media,” highlights the strategic responsibility of the media in promoting advocacy, accountability, environmental justice, and sustainable development in Nigeria’s oil-rich but environmentally impacted Niger Delta region.
According to a statement issued by the leadership of the Chapel, the event will be chaired by His Majesty, King Felix E. Otuwarikpo, Ph.D., FNIPR, JP, FITD, the Eze Igbu Upata III and Nye Udu Upata Kingdom of Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Special Guest of Honour is expected to be His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, while the keynote address will be delivered by renowned environmental rights activist and Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey.
The statement was jointly signed by Comrade Amaechi Okonkwo, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel; Comrade Emmanuel Obe, Chairman of the Planning Committee; and Mrs. Blessing Ibunge, Secretary of the Planning Committee.
Beyond the opening ceremony, activities lined up for the 2026 Correspondents’ Week include visits to charity homes, a special congress of the Chapel, a grand dinner, and a thanksgiving service slated for Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The organisers noted that the programme is designed not only to celebrate the pivotal role of correspondents in Rivers State, but also to galvanise collective action toward addressing decades of environmental degradation and ecological challenges in the Niger Delta region.
Media professionals, stakeholders, development partners, and members of the public are cordially invited to participate in the opening ceremony and other scheduled activities.
— Emeka Amaefula
+234 (0)811 181 3069
