Abeokuta, my root and the cradle of journalism in Nigeria, last week Thursday was fittingly the city of the reenactment of the launch of the first newspaper in this part of the world, Iwe irohin fun awon Ara Egba ati Yoruba.
A culmination of the memorable 6th Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria ACSPN, the launch of the simulated version of the pioneer newspaper offered an opportunity for a deep reflection on media and communication scholarship and professionalism in Nigeria 160 years down the line.
The consensus from that impressively attended conference is that practitioners must ensure that the profession remains noble.
This imperative was emphasized by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Dr. Michael Aremu Gbadebo at whose palace the old iwe irohin was brought back to life when we, as communication scholars and professionals under ACSPN aegis converged on his palace, not just to pay him homage.
It was also to relive history and symbolically birth iwe irohin which origin is the strategic city of Abeokuta.
It was also to nostalgically draw the curtain on our most impressively attended conference that brought together stakeholders and elders in media.
Indeed, the conference was a unique forum for the marriage of the gown and the town in the communication discipline.
Since I attended the ACSPN Empowerment Series at Elizade University, Ilaramokin Ondo State where the announcement for the conference was made, I had prayed not to be left out of the gathering.
This is because it would offer me another opportunity as a native to return to the roots.
Abeokuta is a city I only visit occasionally since completing my secondary education at Egba High School in 1983 and embarking on my academic and professional voyage.
Therefore, I looked forward to the conference like a returning native and a special host of my colleagues in the communication confraternity.
So for two days between Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th September, 2019, all of us with passion for practice of the press profession parked ourselves together inside the enchanting five star Park Inn by Radisson for stimulating discourses on media and communication.
Given the state or direction of our national polity, the leadership and organizers of the conference were sensitive enough to adopt a very germane theme, National Interest, Freedom of Expression and Governance in Africa.
The theme was also supported by another equally relevant Special Panel that tackled Journalism, Media Sustainability and the Consolidation of Democracy 160 Years After.
In all there were nine syndicate sessions at the conference during which over 100 well researched papers and works in progress were presented by media scholars and researchers from tertiary institutions from all geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
The presentations were in diverse thematic areas that border on national interest. These included gender, New media, development Communication policy theory, advertising and public relations, journalism, film and broadcasting and some general issues.
The conference afforded stimulating engagement and networking among scholars just as it facilitated for bibliopaths the opportunity to stock their libraries as I counted no less than 30 Communications related titles published by our authors on display for sale.
In the spirit of the conference, there was a collaborative showcase of ACSPN and UNESCO which feature the projects the two bodies have worked.
Apart, it featured the unveiling of the first ACSPN visiting fellow, Professor Adebayo Fayoyin who for one year will be off his job in South Africa to be enriching Communications scholarship in Nigeria although will be hosted by Caleb University.
Another not to be forgotten feature of the conference is ACSPN female researchers panel and the launching of the fourth title on ACSPN book Series, Fake News & Hate Speech: Narratives of Political Instability in Nigeria.
Personally for me, it was a refreshing way to end my annual leave which started on July 22 as I had exciting opportunity to mingle with my friends and soulmates, make new friends and meet those I know only in names.
From the long list of participants at the conference I pick Aremo Taiwo Allimi, our former Director-General at VON, the famed media chieftain, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Oba Femi Ogunleye who made name as Nigerian Airways spokesman and eminent scholars of mass communication. My project Supervisor at undergraduate study at Unilag, Prof Yomi Daramola surfaced brief while another of our lecturers then at Unilag in the mid 80s, Dr. Yinka Esan left the UK where she teaches to participate at the conference, playing a dominant role.
I met the three notable Lanres in journalism Circle: Idowu, Ogundipe and Arogundade just as my zonal editor in the Concord years, Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse was in attendance. Tivlumun after resigning from Concord to join the Venue State civil where he peaked as a perm sec is now in the academia, lecturing at Bingham University. There was also a co researcher on Concord Editorial Board in the mid 90s, Dr. Gbenga Owolabi as well as fellow my brothers, Drs. Tunde Akanni and Qasim Akinreti, as well as fellow Akokites, Ganiu Akashoro, Bolu Afolorin and Musa Sule who are all establishing themselves in communication scholarship.
Can’t wait for the next edition of our conference. where it takes us, I don’t know yet. But this year’s that brought us to Abeokuta, my root, it was a memorable experience uniquely celebrating Egbaland as the pioneer of many firsts and bests in Nigerian history. This ACSPN conference fits the qualification.
Abdulwarees Solanke
Ag. Deputy Director
Strategic Planning & Corporate Development
Voice of Nigeria
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