Three Years After Announcement, Mass Communication Department Yet To Unbundle

Dressed in a three piece suit and soaked with sweat, Maxwell, a five year graduate of mass communication department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), roamed the streets tiredly in search of a job, making mental notes of the number of rejections his application had received simply because the course he studied had no clear cut specialization.

A short while later, he resigned to fate, choosing to join papa Ebuka in carpentry.

Personifying the saying, “Jack of all trades, Master of none”, Maxwell along with many other Mass Communication graduates, go through the university studying all fields of communication without specialization. Due to the broadness of the course studied within a limited timeframe, many important aspects are scarcely elaborated on, with the lecturers barely scraping the surface. This has resulted in half baked graduates roaming the streets.

Timothy Ibeh, a graduate of UNIZIK , lamenting on the impact of the lack of focus in studying Mass Communication said, “I had a really hard time getting a job, I was jobless for close to three years after graduation and you know what that means. My parents were losing hope in me, I don’t blame them because they had done their part in training me.”

Ifeanyi, a student, who wishes to major in Public Relations communicated in dismay how he is made to study a plethora of other courses with very little attention given to Public Relation. He wonders how he will be an effective Public Relation practitioner when he does not have a solid foundation in school.

A Remedy For Our Woes

In realization of this issue and as part of the revitalization of university education in Nigeria, the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) through it’s executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed announced the unbundling of Mass communication department in 2020.

This decision is the brain child of the recommendation by stakeholders and professionals at the National conference that finalized the draft on review of Mass communication curriculum, facilitated by Bayero University, Kano.

According to Prof. Rasheed, it was stated that the department would be unbundled into several degree programmes to create a distinct discipline of Communication comprising of degree programs in Advertising, Broadcasting, Development Communication Studies, Film and Multi media studies, Mass Communication, Journalism, Public Relations and Strategic Communication, hereby making mass communication which was previously a department into a faculty.

Mr Rasheed also noted that the unbundling was one of the measures taken to initiate massive reforms in the university and also help universities build strong programmes.

This development was met with joy by lecturers and students alike who expressed happiness at the thought of specialization. In an interview with Prime Business Africa, Prof. Stella Okunna, a renowned scholar of mass communication and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Paul University, Awka,  expressed hope that the unbundling of Mass Communication will pave way for more professionalism.

In her words, “The unbundling will make room for more professionalism, more specialization, more expertise and that’s good for the profession. So I am happy that the field is growing, it’s expanding.”

She further stated that these new development will erase the tag “Jack of all trades and master of none” among graduates of Mass communication as they would be well prepared on areas they want to delve into.

Corroborating the former, Dr. Henry Duru, a Lecturer of the department of Mass communication, UNIZIK, commenting on the unbundling is of the view that it is a pleasant development which is welcomed with open arms . In his words, “it is a welcome development and it is in line with trainings going on. It will produce more refined graduates as it will make one a professional in any area.”

Ifechukwu Uche-Offorjama, a student of UNIZIK, also says the unbundling is an avenue to produce grounded and refined professionals but insists that it will only work for those who have decided on what to study in school.

Vanishing Joy

Despite the joy with which the unbundling was received, most universities are yet to unbundle three years after the announcement, with many attributing the reason to the lack of infrastructure to support the unbundling. This delay has dampened the high hopes of students.

Commenting on the delay, Aanuoluwaposin Abioye, a student of Bowen university, speculated the reason behind the delay to be due to lack of equipment, and an adequate building.

Also, the Head of Department of Mass communication, UNIZIK, Prof. Cornelius Ukweze, stated that the only hindrance to the unbundling in Unizik is the lack of infrastructure. In his words,”The department of Mass communication, Unizik is ready to unbundle, we have enough work force, the only hindrance is lack of infrastructure and equipment. We ,as a department hereby solicit for support from well meaning individuals who have always been of help to us in the past to come to our aid” He further stated that anyone who hearkens to the department’s cry will forever be a friend of the department.

Notwithstanding the many prospects the unbundling has to offer, some believe it to be counterproductive. Emmanuel Nginikanma a graduate of Mass Communication, communicated that not specializing in any of the various departments under the new arrangement gave him added advantage over others in the labour market.

In addition, Joyce Ogboh of University of Ibadan also thinks the unbundling is ‘not really worth it’. She however states that if the school is able to provide more practical areas then.

Nevertheless, a good number of students have called upon the management of their various schools to make plans in earnest for the unbundling so as to fulfill the order of the NUC and also to pave way for specialization of it’s students.