Professor Ismail Adegboyega Ibraheem, a distinguished professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), is set to make history by delivering the university’s first inaugural lecture from an alumnus of its Mass Communication Department.
On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, Professor Ibraheem will present a lecture titled “Casino Journalism and the End of History,” discussing the current state of journalism practice globally and offering solutions to its challenges.
The lecture is a significant milestone for the department, as it marks the first inaugural lecture delivered by one of its own alumni, 58 years after the department was established. This event comes nearly 20 years after the last inaugural lecture was held in the department, underlining the importance of Ibraheem’s contribution to both the university and the field of media studies.
In a statement, Professor Ibraheem explained that the theme of the lecture was chosen to address the pressing issues facing the global media industry, particularly in Nigeria. *“The urgent need to address key ethical, funding, ownership, and managerial crises in the media industry, especially in diverse societies such as Nigeria, influenced the choice of the theme,”* he said. Describing the lecture as a product of “spaghetti reasoning,” he emphasized that it would be his contribution to the body of knowledge and an intervention in the global media crisis.
The event, which is expected to draw an audience from the academic, political, and civil society sectors, will be chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, with past Vice-Chancellors Rahamon Bello and Oluwatoyin Ogundipe in attendance. Key dignitaries, including former Nigerian Minister of Sports, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Lanre Isa Onilu, and other prominent figures, are expected at the event.
Professor Adepoju Tejumaye, Chairman of the planning committee and former Head of the Mass Communication Department at UNILAG, noted that the lecture’s topic reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to producing quality work. *“The topic is a reflection of the quality thoughts and works going on in our department. It will be a great intervention to the multifarious challenges confronting the media industry globally and Nigeria in particular,”* Professor Tejumaye stated, urging guests to arrive by 3:30 p.m.
Professor Ibraheem’s career has been marked by international recognition. A recipient of the British Chevening Scholarship, he obtained his Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester, UK, in 1996, and later earned a PhD in Media and Politics from the same university in 2004. Over the years, he has held various prestigious roles, including serving as the Country Programme Director for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, United Kingdom (CIPR) professional certificate and diploma programmes in Nigeria, and as Executive Director of the Centre for African Resources Research and Development (CARRD) in the UK.
Returning to Nigeria in 2011, Professor Ibraheem began his academic career at UNILAG, where he was appointed professor in 2020. He has authored more than 75 academic publications and supervised over 150 master’s theses and 10 PhD dissertations. Outside of academia, he holds leadership roles in several organizations, including serving as the Chairman of TheCable News Foundation and the Director of International Relations, Partnerships, and Prospects at UNILAG, where he leads the university’s globalization efforts.
