NMLSIII: Popcorn, Shallipopi, Summit Express & 10 other delights, by Taiwo Obe

Innocent RaphaelJune 1, 2025

11 minutes read

NMLSIII: Popcorn, Shallipopi, Summit Express & 10 other delights, by Taiwo Obe 3

Opening Address and Popcorn Surprise

I was preparing to deliver my opening address, which was going to be about stories. It occurred to me that I could have the audience munching popcorn just like when they are in a cinema. So, I Googled “Popcorn Abeokuta,” and your name popped up.

That was the message I sent via WhatsApp at 17:46 on 11 April 2025 to a popcorn maker whom I had assumed was based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. As it turned out, the lady behind the business was based in Agege, Lagos State.

I immediately asked for help from the folk at Honey Taste Catering Services in Abeokuta, who had been contracted to provide meals for the tea and lunch breaks for the 3rd Nigeria Media Leaders’ Summit (#NMLSIII or #NMLS25), which was to hold in that city for the second year in a row at the same venue (Academy Suites) from 5-6 May. Honey Taste had also catered at #NMLSII.

They found us Choice Popcorn. Indeed, they were a good choice: they came on schedule to Academy Suites and delivered crispy popcorn savored by all.

But serving popcorn was just one of the many delightful features that differentiated #NMLSIII from previous summits.

Summit Express: The VIP Train Experience

Let’s start with what Pelu Awofeso aptly called Summit Express. It is the VIP train provided by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility towards the summit’s success. According to NRC’s Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, media leaders—the guardians of the Fourth Estate—deserved to tackle their challenges as relaxed as possible.

NMLSIII: Popcorn, Shallipopi, Summit Express & 10 other delights, by Taiwo Obe 4

The most convenient way to travel between Lagos and Abeokuta/Ibadan is by rail. I have travelled that route many times over the past two years, but last weekend was a whole new experience. I travelled on the VIP Coach, aka Senators’ Coach (courtesy of NRC’s sponsorship of the 3rd Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit). — Pelu Awofeso

Pelu captured the movement to Abeokuta in this video. The service was also deployed for participants’ return to Lagos.

Interested in hiring the coach?
Please contact NRC’s Deputy Director (Commercial), Yemi Odunowo, at +234 802 633 1918.

Anikeade Boulevard: Road Rehabilitation Success

Last year, most participants travelled by rail using regular business coaches. We left Abeokuta determined to get the authorities to fix the impassable Laderin Road, which leads in and out of the Prof. Wole Soyinka Train Station.

Not long after, Anikeade Funke-Treasure, who co-compered the NMLSII, began a crusade on News Central TV’s A Place at The Table. She even started writing the monologue’s script on her way back to Lagos by road with two delegates. Watch it here.

The good news: the Ogun State Government took action. This year, the ride into town from the Summit Express was delightfully different.

Get a glimpse of the rehabilitated road in this appreciative X post by NRC’s Opeifa. For me, it is impact. “This feels like a personal victory,” Anikeade gushes (why not?) here.

By the way, on our 2nd Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit WhatsApp Group, I have been canvassing that the next crusade should be to rename Laderin Road as Anikeade Funke Treasure Boulevard. And why not?

Compendium of Gems – For Keeps

Last year, participants checked into their rooms at Academy Suites and found name tags, pens, jotters, and the event programme in tote bags placed nicely on their beds. This time, they were welcomed with ethnic conference folders proudly made by D-Dee, along with name tags and pens.

No jotter? No event programme? There were.

In 2019, at the 1st summit held at Ogere Resort, participants went home with a bulky (172-page) A4-size booklet containing my Opening Remarks and reading materials relevant to the theme, sourced and reproduced in color.

This time, we settled for a smarter—and cheaper, thank you very much—A5 version, which we called the Keepsake Compendium. Here is your copy. For keeps. You are welcome.

Go ahead, take a quick look. You will see 49 QR codes from pages 22 to 32, full of gems on Audience Engagement. That section is titled Codes and Quotes of Engagement. This is one of the reasons why the compendium is a delightful collector’s item. Many thanks to Nkanu Egbe for splendidly executing the vision.

Please open your compendium to page 5, where my Opening Remarks (“We’ve got work to do”) are. At line 3, you will see: “You can now see why you have been supplied popcorn.”

Aha! One reason the compendium was not inserted in the folders: to keep the rationale for serving popcorn a secret.

Indeed, the compendium was not distributed until after its review by David Oluwamayowa Ajikobi, which came after I presented my remarks. I found out later that a copy or two strayed into a few hands.

This compendium is loaded with 10 pages of very useful resources accessible via QR code. They have been carefully curated to mirror the usefulness of our conversations and deliberations over the next two days. — David Ajikobi

Media Dreams: A Summit Within a Summit

This was totally unplanned. We had to await the arrival from Lagos of an entourage representing a key sponsor. So, I told Anikeade, the sole compere of #NMLSII (just as she was in 2019), to ensure there was no dull moment in the interim.

Give it up for this lady who has mastered the art of captivating audiences: she simply created a summit within a summit. For the next hour or so, delegates spoke about their “media dream” — or as Anikeade put it, “that gap in the Nigerian media that tugs at you, and you would want to do something about.”

Yes, that is the backstory of what you see here. Certainly, a delightful difference.

TITO’s Assistance

Last year, we had an A1 assistant. We had one this year too, but we gave it a name: TITO. I wrote about the origins of the name here. TITO will show up here and there as we proceed.

Shallipopi-ng: The Spectacle

Q: What is a spectacle?
A: A remarkable or impressive sight or a public display or performance. — The Free Dictionary

We had a couple of spectacles at #NMLSIII worth sharing.

Spectacle 1: The Laho Steps

As a preface, I recall an incident from the earliest days of Sheraton Lagos Hotel during a knowledge event. Participants had resumed after lunch, and it was the turn of celebrated merchant banker Ime Ebong to speak. When he got to the podium, he placed his wooden walking stick in front of the dado and said something like: “When you are tempted to sleep because of the heavy lunch, let this walking stick remind you that a chief is standing before you.”

Ebong was Adaha of Ibibio land. I can’t swear that one or two didn’t drift into sleep, but the chief never had to wield the stick.

Back to NMLSIII, Day 1, last session before lunch. Clearly, participants needed a break. So, what did Dr. Helen Emore do?

I pulled up with Shallipopi for my presentation. I wasn’t sure the room of distinguished media leaders (who were there for serious business) would welcome such entertainment from the ‘Pluto President’ on a hot Monday afternoon. To my surprise, they gave me the go-ahead.

I shared and rewarded them with some of my amateur ‘Laho’ steps. That lit up the room, and I knew we were ready to go. As a professional facilitator, I have learnt that engaging a low-energy room does not produce desired outcomes. Yes, you would deliver, but will your audience engage? Will they take anything away? I had to energize the room first with some Plutonium moves, then brought in edutainment. — Dr. Helen Emore

The Rematch to Come: Day 2 Debate

Spectacle 2 happened on the morning of Day 2, the first session soon after breakfast. It was a perfect setting for possible crossfires.

Richard O. Ikiebe, PhD, whose topic was “Bring Back the Magnets”, spoke virtually. The summary of his presentation, as captured by TITO:

He discussed Nigerian media history from 1980 to 1999, reflecting on journalism’s challenges and successes during military rule.
Highlighted ingenious strategies journalists used to resist economic and political pressures.
Emphasized the importance of understanding current times and urged a renewed focus on issue-driven reporting and innovation.
Stressed the need for a collective attitude shift within the media to better serve the public interest.

Ikiebe posited there was an “incorrect understanding” or “incorrect interpretation” by the media of the current season Nigeria is in, unlike during the tyrannical 80s and 90s when militancy in journalism prevailed. Otherwise, they would be doing things differently.

He therefore charged media practitioners to “reclaim fearless, purposeful public interest journalism” (see Slide 17 of his presentation).

His submission irked a few, and at least three had the opportunity to vehemently express objections. A verbal slugfest ensued.

Among the “red corner” were Musikilu Mojeed and Toun Okewale Sonaiya, who would feature later in yet another delightfully different feature of NMLSIII — the OWNERS’ FORUM — and Sam Omatseye, chairman of the editorial board of The Nation Newspaper.

For instance, Mojeed, highlighting some public interest issues—including organ harvesting which Ikiebe mentioned—wondered if Ikiebe’s submission, considering he is a scholar, had any scientific basis.

Ikiebe, nevertheless, had supporters such as Ijeoma Popoola, who said:
“I agree with Dr. Ikiebe that we aren’t demonstrating oneness, unity of purpose, one voice, etc. Ethnicity has affected the operations of some journalists, and it is damaging to our industry. Meaning: We fail to criticize/speak up when it concerns our ethnicity or ethnic folk but quickly attack/condemn when it is the other way. Sometimes, we even criticize undeserving persons/issues because they aren’t of our ethnic group or benefactors or the issues do not benefit us. Ethnicity and nepotism are damaging operations of Nigerian journalists, often making them attack one another instead of forging a strong force to shape society. That is unlike in the past.”

Days later, in my review of the situation with him, Dr. Ikiebe insisted that those who objected to his position probably misinterpreted his views or didn’t hear what they had hoped to hear. He requested a “rematch” where protagonists and antagonists could slug it out “for the greater good of the profession/business.”

He asked rhetorically: “The old media had a huge audience advantage. How many people read us today—even online?”

I am all for the rematch. Let’s do it.

Owners’ Hangout: The Forum Debut

Held for the first time in the history of the Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit, the OWNERS’ FORUM was adeptly moderated by Toluwalope Ogunlesi MON.

The panelists represented diverse media sectors:

Digital/Online: Musikilu Mojeed
Women: Toun Okewale Sonaiya
Children: Betty Dibiah Akeredolu-Ale
General/Popular Print Media: Joseph Adeyeye, GMD, Punch Newspapers (appeared virtually from Krakow, Poland)
Niche: Frank Aigbogun (absent)

They acknowledged challenges faced by Nigerian media, including manpower shortages and difficulties attracting funding.

They discussed the digital divide and the need to consider audiences with limited internet access, especially in a country where internet penetration is not universal.

Key Points (with help from TITO):

Joseph Adeyeye:

Shift in Punch Newspaper’s audience engagement from deep investigative pieces in the pre-digital era to lighter content, though sustained interest remains in impactful stories when framed effectively.
Punch now has a team focused on digital strategies, innovation, and leveraging AI for content creation.
Punch began as a weekly Sunday newspaper in March 1973.

Toun Okewale Sonaiya:

Success of Women Radio 97.1FM in catering to a female audience, with regular salary payments since its founding in 2015.
Emphasized financial stability and diverse revenue streams (grants, events, partnerships) to avoid over-reliance on advertising.
Women Radio distributes transistor radios to reach women in rural areas without internet access.
Developed NIMI, a virtual assistant, to improve access in Nigerian dialects.

Musikilu Mojeed:

To attract wider audiences to investigative pieces, incorporate multimedia storytelling, data visualization, and human-interest elements.
Highlighted the need for partnerships and collaborations locally and internationally.
Cited Premium Times’ international partnerships on the Panama Papers investigation which amplified reach.

Betty Dibiah Akeredolu-Ale:

Acknowledged children’s growing influence on buying decisions.
Branama TV appeals to both children and families to build advertiser trust.
Attracting advertisers for children’s content is a work in progress; Branama was founded in December 2023.
Incorporates game shows to engage children and parents.
Stressed the importance of safe, appropriate family content.

After (Re)Learning, Comes the Rockers

Once upon a time, there lived a baritone-voiced fellow named Dipo Sodipo, popularly known as Pope. His “papacy” was over the Basilica Cathedral, which he formed as a counter to another fraternity, as detailed in a piece by my cousin, Dami Ajayi.

I was a disciple.

One listen to Pope, and you would want more. Ajayi expresses it better:
“A one-man band demands a level of ambidexterity Pope handled effortlessly. To hold a note on a microphone and hoist a piano chord simultaneously is truly the stuff of genius.” Ayayaya (in Pope’s voice).

While preparing for the 2nd Summit, I went to what then was Twitter (now X) to ask which musician succeeded Pope. I wanted that person to provide music at a get-together to round off the summit. After all, we were going to be in Abeokuta, where Pope was based.

I shared the post via WhatsApp with a couple of friends with roots in Abeokuta. The answer came from my junior in Ibadan Boys’ High School, Otunba Lanre Anifowose:
“Segun Anifowose (no relation), aka Segun Rockers, is trying his best. But Pope’s shoes are just too big.”

My colleague, Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, founder of Penpushing Media Limited and the summit’s local coordinator, also named Segun Rockers in a later response on 26 March 2024.

Somehow, I could not reach Segun Rockers then, so we ended up with a DJ.

For #NMLSIII, I was determined to get him. And I did. Thanks again to Kayode-Adedeji and, quoting Anikeade, our “vibrant, ebullient, indefatigable, undefeatable host in Abeokuta.”

We r-o-c-k-e-d by the poolside of Academy Suites, Abeokuta. One delegate even swam to his heart’s content, although it was not a pool party. Oh well.

Want to contact Segun Rockers?
+234 803 562 4505. He is also active on TikTok. I think that is where I tracked him from.

MARKET SQUARED: Words and Music

Back to Day 1.

Even after lunch, with his practical demonstrations of leveraging AI tools to create engaging and sustainable online content while maintaining journalistic standards, it was difficult for anyone to drift away during Dan Mason’s session.

Dan Mason, who says he has a British head and a Nigerian heart, presented “Finding the Unicorn” — focused on strategies for creating viral, evergreen content.

Thanks to his leveraging of AI, we got a song, complete with lyrics, for our theme, which inspired the wording to an extent:

MARKET SQUARED: TURNING CONNECTIONS INTO GOLD IN THE AI AGE

The Song: MARKET SQUARED

Chorus / Hook
Market Squared!
Connecting, creating gold!
Market Squared!
With passion, our stories told!
Market Squared!
Building trust, growing strong!
Market Squared!
Hear our voice and sing along!

Verse 1
From Lagos to Kano, we gather as one
Voices of the future, our journey’s begun
Stories of triumph, of challenge and change
In the heart of Nigeria, we’re turning the page

Pre-chorus
We stand for the people, for truth to unfold
With courage and vision, our stories are told
Innovation our compass, values our guide
United we rise, side by side

Verse 2
We learn from each other, we share and we teach
The summit of leaders, our goals within reach
We master AI, our stories take flight
Nigeria’s media, shining so bright

Verse 3
From the wisdom of print to the power of code
Our journey continues, our stories unfold
With roots in tradition and eyes on the prize
Nigeria’s media will always rise

Gracie’s Turn: A Delightful Celebration

Last year, we celebrated the one and only Lekan Otufodunrin whose 60th birthday was two days away.

This year, it was the turn of Grace Mason, daughter of Dan Mason and Dorah Osas, whose ninth birthday was also two days away from the celebration day.

A graceful and delightful celebration before the start of Day 2 and at the poolside party.

Bouquet of Reports and Reflections

I have curated reports and reflections—in no particular order—by some of our resource persons and delegates from here, there, and yonder for your reading pleasure.