EMR Abuja Branch Moves to Strengthen Membership, Professional Engagement
By Saheed Badmus
The Abuja Branch of the Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR) has resolved to strengthen members’ participation, streamline its membership structure and deepen professional engagement as part of efforts to reposition the branch for greater impact.
The resolutions were reached at the branch’s second congress, held online via WhatsApp on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The meeting, which commenced at 8:30 a.m., was attended by the National Chairman, Mr. Martins Ogene; National Secretary, Dr. Seviour Ekpe; Abuja Branch Chairman, Amb. Dotun Roy; Branch Secretary, Queen Nora Inwang; Comrades Dominic Edem and Idongesit Ekpe, among other old and new members of the branch.
Welcoming participants, Roy expressed appreciation to members for their commitment and for making time to attend the meeting despite the short notice.
Speaking at the congress, the National Chairman, Ogene, stressed the importance of unity, collaboration and active participation among journalists, noting that professional bodies such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), guilds and other associations provide platforms for journalists to interact, share knowledge and advance their professional interests.
He urged members of the Abuja Branch to take advantage of the strategic position of the Federal Capital Territory, particularly the presence of numerous ministries, departments and agencies responsible for energy and maritime affairs.
“Abuja is the headquarters, and members should take advantage of that opportunity,” he said.
Ogene also charged members covering the energy and maritime sectors to provide accurate, balanced and timely reports, stressing that the two sectors remain critical to the Nigerian economy.
According to him, the nature of energy and maritime reporting requires journalists to be proactive, knowledgeable and more engaging in their coverage of developments within the sectors.
He called for greater cooperation among members and urged them to participate actively in the association’s programmes and activities.
The National Chairman also encouraged members to join the EMR Lounge platform, where internal matters affecting the association would be discussed, while announcing plans by the national body to organise training programmes aimed at enhancing members’ professional capacity.
He said the benefits of belonging to the association would become more evident when members remained committed and actively participated in its activities.
Also speaking, the National Secretary, Dr. Seviour Ekpe, commended the National Chairman for his remarks and praised the Abuja Branch executive for convening the congress.
Ekpe described Abuja as a strategic location for energy and maritime journalists because of the concentration of government institutions and agencies in the nation’s capital.
“Abuja does not have all, but it is the centre of Nigeria. There are a lot of agencies in Abuja that have to do with energy and maritime, and members should take advantage of this,” he said.
He proposed that the Abuja Branch should embark on courtesy visits to relevant energy and maritime agencies in the FCT to establish stronger institutional relationships, improve access to information and enhance the quality of members’ reportage.
The National Secretary also emphasised the need for commitment among members, warning that the membership structure could be reviewed to reflect active participation.
He said inactive members could be removed from the active membership structure in due course as the association seeks to build a more committed and functional branch.
Meanwhile, Comrade Dominic Edem called for improved identification and interaction among members across the association.
He suggested that the names of members from the national body down to the various state branches should be made available on relevant platforms to facilitate easy identification, communication and networking.
A major issue discussed at the congress was the need to ensure that the Abuja Branch comprises members who are active, committed and willing to contribute to the development of the association.
The National Chairman stressed that the branch’s WhatsApp platform should be used primarily for matters that promote the progress and professional interests of members.
He cautioned against posting irrelevant materials on the platform and called for greater discipline and responsibility in the use of the group.
The congress subsequently resolved to review the membership of the Abuja Branch, with emphasis on commitment, participation and willingness to contribute to the activities of the association.
Ogene said the objective was to reduce the number of inactive members and build a smaller but more committed group, noting the need to “trim down the group from 19 members to 10 committed members.”
He added that members who were unwilling or unable to participate actively should voluntarily exit the platform or be removed by the administrators.
As part of efforts to properly identify members and assess their level of commitment, the branch resolved to hold a WhatsApp video meeting for Abuja members and members of the Executive Committee on Saturday.
Members who fail to participate in the video meeting may be asked to leave the group or be removed by the administrators in line with the resolution reached at the congress.
The proposed list of new Executive Committee members for the Abuja Branch will also be discussed during the Saturday meeting.
The branch further resolved to hold regular meetings to discuss developments in the energy and maritime industries, as well as professional issues affecting members.
Members were consequently urged to participate actively in EMR Abuja Branch programmes, support one another professionally and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the association.
The meeting ended with the Branch Chairman thanking members for their contributions and urging them to remain committed to the objectives of EMR and the development of the Abuja Branch.
