Chairman of the 2nd National Executive Council (NEC) inauguration of the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), Ambassador Shedrack Agediga, has underscored the strategic importance of media ownership and narrative control in the ongoing struggle for the emancipation of the Ijaw and the wider Niger Delta region.
Agediga, who is the Chairman of the Delta State Scholars/Bursary Board, delivered the charge at the colourful ceremony held in Warri, declaring that, “when others tell your story, they define your direction.”
According to him, the media is not merely a communication tool but a powerful instrument of resistance, identity and influence. He urged members of the IPF to rise to the historic responsibility of shaping and projecting the true realities of the Ijaw people, rather than allowing external forces to frame their narrative.
Drawing from his background as a product of the Niger Delta struggle, Agediga lamented what he described as the paradox of poverty in the midst of abundance, noting that many oil-producing Ijaw communities still grapple with environmental degradation, unemployment and inadequate basic amenities despite decades of resource extraction.
He stressed that true emancipation goes beyond political rhetoric, encompassing economic empowerment, environmental justice, cultural preservation and social equity.
The well-attended inauguration attracted traditional rulers, media practitioners, civil society actors and key stakeholders from across the Niger Delta, further reinforcing the growing influence of the Ijaw media bloc.
Agediga’s message resonated strongly among participants as he charged the forum to remain steadfast, united and intentional in telling the Ijaw story from an indigenous perspective.
