Catholic Church honours Dokpesi, tasks media on societal building

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) came alive on Wednesday as media professionals, clergy, scholars, and dignitaries gathered for the 2025 Communications Week Public Lecture and posthumous award ceremony in honour of the late media icon, High Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi.

Held under the theme “Media with Gentleness: A Path to Being Narrators of Hope in a Distressed Nation,” the event was part of the ongoing National Communications Week, a Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) initiative aimed at promoting media literacy and value-driven communication across the country.

In his welcome address, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, lauded the dual significance of the occasion, celebrating the fourth edition of Communications Week and paying tribute to a pioneer of Nigerian private broadcasting.

“Today, we remember High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, a visionary who championed mass communication with heroic dedication. His legacy, especially through DAAR Communications, exemplifies the ideals of African and Christian values, resisting sensationalism and commercial pressure,” Fr. Banjo said.

Dokpesi, founder of Ray Power FM and African Independent Television (AIT), was praised for his groundbreaking role in Nigeria’s media landscape, being the first to establish private radio and satellite television stations that promoted African culture and upheld journalistic integrity.

Delivering the opening remarks, Bishop David Ajang, CBCN Episcopal Chairman for Social Communications, emphasized the vital role of the media in shaping society and affirmed the Church’s commitment to promoting responsible communication.

“Inspired by Pope Paul VI and furthered by Pope Francis’ call for the ‘disarming of communication,’ the Church in Nigeria has embraced the annual ComWEEK as a platform for nurturing hope, unity, and truth in a time of growing media polarization and digital toxicity,” Bishop Ajang stated.

He noted that Communications Week, initiated four years ago, has gained recognition from the Vatican and among African bishops, marking it as a significant stride in the Church’s media engagement.

The event’s theme drew resonance with Pope Francis’ 2025 message for World Communications Day, which calls for communication devoid of aggression, rivalry, and division. Fr. Banjo connected this to the current Nigerian media climate, lamenting the rise in online hostility, political acrimony, and content that undermines social cohesion.

Adding its voice, the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) delivered a goodwill message reaffirming the media’s role in peacebuilding.

Represented by Fr. Boniface Neibo, the foundation called for the media to be used as a “tool for hope and healing,” highlighting its own contributions through interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution training.

“We must become narrators of hope, offering not just information but redemptive stories that affirm our shared humanity,” Fr. Neibo stated.

He commended the CSN’s Communication Department, led by Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, for its commitment to authentic and value-based communication.

The 2025 Communications Week continues across Catholic dioceses nationwide until June 1, promising further engagements around media ethics, social responsibility, and nation-building.