Shobanjo Gives Recipe for World Class Dept.

By Faith Enang, Samuel Olowookere, Morayo Koku, and Adebanke Durowoju

*Dr Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman of Troyka Holdings.*

Students of the Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos (UNILAG) must constantly monitor and learn from their peers outside Nigeria to achieve world-class status.

Dr Biodun Shobanjo, marketing communications practitioner and Chairman of Troyka Holdings, gave this advice during the 2023 Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON) conference.

The conference was a two-day event with the theme “Communication, Mass Media & Governance in Africa: Trajectories, Expectations and Realities,” which took place between December 6 and 7, 2023, at Biodun Shobanjo Centre of Excellence in Multimedia Technology and Cinematography, Department of Mass Communication, UNILAG.

When asked how the students can become global performers, the expert said, “Everybody must understand that Nigeria cannot be an island. You are students here at one of the best Nigerian universities, and you will all enter the same job market as international students.

“When companies are hiring, they won’t say, ‘Where are those guys in Nigeria? They will say we want the best talent.’ That’s why you must constantly monitor what goes on outside the world and do the same.”

Shobanjo, who spoke as the chairman of the occasion, equally emphasised how the government has erroneously captured the media, thereby hindering the fourth estate of the realm.

His words, “There is no reason to capture the media because the media are partners in progress. If you want this democracy to last, survive, and perform as it should, the media should be allowed to tell people what they need.

“The role of the media is apparent. Those who muzzle the media do it in their ignorance. They should allow the media to do their jobs.”

Noting that 2023 made it ten years since he donated the Biodun Shobanjo Centre of Excellence in Multimedia Technology and Cinematography to the department and school, Shobanjo expressed joy in seeing the structure fulfil its purpose of lecturing students and providing offices for lecturers.