Ray Ekpu, a leading Nigerian journalist and recipient of numerous national and international media awards, has been scheduled to chair the official media launch of Africa’s first PR newswire portal: NewswireNigeria®, at the Aquatic Hotel, Ikeja, on Thursday.
Ekpu, who is also the president of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and CEO of Newswatch Communications Limited, has been in the media for two decades now, enjoying wide recognition.
Ejiofor Agada, chief executive officer, Private Media Mart Limited (owners of NewswireNigeria®), said that Ekpu’s decision to endorse NewswireNigeria® is in line with his personal and professional policy as well as his strong support for development and innovations in modern journalism and the publicity marketplace.
The event is also structured to bring together top editors in the print and electronic media, as well as leading lights in public relations, advertising and corporate affairs in the private and public sectors of the economy.
Agada said that the rationale behind the forum is to launch NewswireNigeria® and also demonstrate to journalists, businesspersons and corporate entities, the way and manner the online portal – which is being described as the first of its kind in the continent – works and how they would benefit from it.
NewswireNigeria® is a Business-to-media (B2M) PR newswire portal that is designed to help businesses and other corporate entities in Nigeria and Africa, enjoy unparalleled media attention with access to a database of journalists covering all sectors of the economy.
According to him, it is strictly built upon the noticeable limitations of other such services around the globe, to create a complete media information resource center on the Internet that is focused on Nigeria and West Africa.
Agada explained that once a journalist registers for FREE on the portal, which is located on URL: www.newswirenigeria.net, he or she would be alerted through email and SMS on the mobile phone number provided in the registration form, whenever news concerning his or her beat is sent to the portal.
Proponents have informed that what necessitated the introduction of NewswireNigeria® is the quest to help businesses and corporate entities - no matter the size or distance - gain the attention of the media at affordable rates as well as serve as a veritable online resource for journalists to access PR news easily, conveniently and at no cost whatsoever.
The service is currently available and functional with companies from about 17 sectors of the economy including SystemsSpecs, Progenics, ReltelWireless now ZoomMobile, Celtel now Zain, VIA Technologies, Taiwan, and a host of others, which use the service to send their press releases and pictures.
