The Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Professor Umaru Pate has states that,Nigerian universities would soon offer degree in Broadcasting.
He disclosed this at the inauguration and induction of newly registered members of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB) in Abuja on Thursday.
While he congratulated the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) on the successful inauguration of the society, he challenges broadcasters on ensuring professionalism.
He said, “Let me also congratulate BON for inaugurating this society. For me, I have two things. One, it is interesting to know that, on Monday, 10 o’clock, we are going to launch a Curriculum for Bsc in Broadcasting.
“We’ll be at the NUC to unveil the Mass Communications and Media Studies Curriculum in Nigeria. Nigerian universities will start offering Bsc Broadcasting. The industry will have to work harder because new people are coming.
“We require you to assist us. We are going to need a lot more broadcast lecturers and one of the things I will also promise this society is, we are going to encourage any person who wants to reach Broadcasting must be a member of the society.
“It will be one of the assessments which a lecturer of broadcasting must belong to.But, you must also play your own part by encouraging research. We are working very hard to ensure that we establish this relationship.”
In his remarks, Chairman of BON, John Ugbe, said broadcasters must have a professional body to guide their operations as professionals adding that, broadcast cannot be a profession without proper professional body.
He added, “It is only right we should have our own bodu. I am very proud to say today we would be having induction with members properly in our profession”.
While speaking, Chairman of occasion, who was the former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Amb. Yemi Farounbi, emphasised the need for broadcasters to operate, speak and conduct their affairs as a professional body.
On his part, a former Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Alh. Ibrahim Mohammed said, he is proud to be a broadcaster and a member of the society.
He called on the new inductees to give their maximum cooperation and support to the body and ensure that it achieves its main aims and objectives of bringing sanity, innovation and technologically driven communication sector.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Toni Iredia, called for the proper management of broadcast stations saying that,there was need to highlight how the peculiarities in developing societies impact greatly on broadcast stations.
The former NTA DG said, “When you are able to pinpoint this peculiarities you can get set to overcome them and therefore have a great station*.
Adding his voice, the Executive Secretary BON, Dr Yemisi Bamgbose, said the society was a professional body for broadcast media practitioners who want to improve broadcasting professionalism among members through trainings and interactions with all relevant stakeholders.
