By Godfrey AKON
The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria, CIPPON, has inaugurated its Abuja chapter in line with its approval for the establishment of state chapters to strengthen its operations nationwide.
National President of CIPPON, Amb. Niyi Adesoye, who inaugurated the Abuja branch of the institute on Thursday, said the idea of setting up state chapters is to ensure that any person establishing a printing press must be licensed, as well as to tackle printing challenges peculiar to each state.
Adesoye noted that after the inauguration of the FCT chapter, coordinators will be activated in the 36 states of the federation.
The CIPPON national president also disclosed that CIPPON council which he chairs, applied for four hectares of land from the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to build its headquarters, but FCTA approved two hectares for that purpose.
According to him, CIPPON is in touch with Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, to check the influx of substandard tonners and papers which are not good for their printing equipment.
On the membership of CIPPON, Adesoye warned printers that after 31st of March 2023, if they cannot regularised their membership, they would be required to write an entrance examination before being admitted into its membership.
Speaking after her Inauguration, the Chairperson, FCT Chapter of CIPPON, Mrs. Olajumoke Owoeye, described the event as history being made in the institute to reposition the printing industry and midwife a new tradition.
“Today we begin a new chapter as the first of its kind in the FCT and the entire nation as a whole, to birth a state chapter that will bring to every Print Practitioner the dividend of our great industry and I have the singular privilege of becoming part of history while forging a path to greater future.
“I acknowledge and accept the Chairmanship of the FCT Chapter of this institute with deep gratitude. You’ve entrusted me with this leadership role and I embrace it with eagerness to deliver in line with the terms of reference handed down to me, thereby taking our industry to its desired Haven.
Owoeye expressed gratitude to the national leadership of the institute and individuals who were instrumental to her rising.
She enjoined stakeholders in the industry to do more by coming on-board and growing the institute as there is more to benefit when printers unite than when dis-unity takes the centre stage.
Earlier, the Financial Secretary of CIPPON, FCT chapter, Mr Abbas Mohammed, who reeled out activities of the institute, noted that it is the regulator of the printing industry in Nigeria with a mandate to ensure only licensed printers operate in the country.
Mohammed said CIPPON was chartered since 2007 and monitors the activities of all registered printers to ensure that the art of printing conforms with laid down standards.
He urged all printers to close ranks and face the challenges bedeviling the council to be reckoned as a known chattered institute.
“We need to enforce the roles as provided for in the Act because it protects the industry, the printer and others,” he said.
On his part, a council member, Prince Tadese Taiwo, commended the Federal Government for allocating printing of sensitive and insensitive electoral materials to some printing companies within the country during the 2023 general election as against the practice of awarding such contracts to foreign companies.
Taiwo noted that prior to the election, a lot of sensitisation was carried out by CIPPON and the government listened, adding that the members have the human resources, machinery and equipment to handle any printing job in Nigeria and beyond.
Highlights of the event was the inauguration of the 23 FCT chapter pioneer executives and induction of 30 printers into its membership.
Some of the 23 FCT chapter pioneer executives inaugurated were the Chairperson, Mrs. Olajumoke Owoeye; Vice Chairman, Mr. Samuel Obaro; Assistant Secretary, Mr. Ogbu Moses; Financial Secretary, Mr Abbas Mohammed; Assistant Mobilisation, Mr Abdulsallam Wasiu, and Director Training/Research, Pastor Tom Coker, among others.