Alumni urged to close ranks for sake of alma maters - ITREALMS

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Alumni of institutions in the country have been urged to close ranks so as to be a formidable team for the growth of the former institutions, known in Italo as ‘alma mater’ and society at large, reports ITREALMS.

Giving this charge at the weekend during the 2025 ThanksGiving Get Together of Times Journalism Alumni Association (TJAA Class99) held at the Ladi Lawal House, Lagos Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalist in Alausa Ikeja, the Governor-General of TJAA Class99, Ogbuefi Chinenyeze Remmy Nweke, commended members for their continued commitment towards positioning Times Journalism Alumni Association in the journalism industry.

Alumni partnership board debuts in Osun - ITREALMS

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The Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has announced the creation of a partnership board between government and alumni associations at all levels of education in the state as part of sustained effort of his administration to reposition education and improve standards, saying non-governmental groups are critical partners in the development of schools.

Governor Adeleke made the disclosure when he hosted a delegation of the Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association in his office on Tuesday, noting that the board which will be launched by mid-March will complement his administration's effort at complete rehabilitation of schools in Osun state.

Agugoesi emerges Chairman, Times Journalism Alumni Association - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Times Journalism Alumni Association (TJAA) has elected a seven-man new executive committee to be led by Mr. Clifford Agugoesi, the Editor-in-Chief of Cyber Era Magazine, reports ITREALMS.

Agugoesi, ITREALMS gathered, takes over from the erstwhile chairman and Group Executive Editor, DigitalSENSE Africa Media group, Mr. Remmy Nweke, who assumed his latest position as chair, Board of Trustees of TJAA, after an election conducted recently.

The TJAA new chairman was elected alongside Mr. Adelaja Bisi as Vice Chairman; Mr. Adeniran Odufayo, General Secretary; Mr. Abraham Akpabio as Assistant-General Secretary; Mrs. Itunu Olamiotan Ola as Treasurer, Chief Mrs. Folashade Azeez, Welfare Officer, and Mr. Emmanuel Udodinma as the Public Relations Officer (PRO).

A press statement available to ITREALMS, and endorsed by Emma Udodinma, Public Relations Officer, Agugoesi was quoted in his acceptance speech, after the online voting exercise, expressed thanks to all those who made their emergence possible, especially the Electoral Committee, headed by Mr. Fabian Anawo of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and his predecessor, Mr. Nweke. He also called on all past students of Times Journalism Institute Lagos to identify with the association and support programmes targeted at moving TJAA forward through active participation.

“Great TJItes, thank you all for voting us to serve you. We will do just that, God helping us. We thank God Almighty for sustaining us and express our gratitude to Remmy Nweke and all who have worked exceedingly hard to bring us to where we currently are. Ours is going to be a Government of Continuity & Innovation. We promise to continue with some good foundations already led by our predecessors, but will not hesitate to effect changes when and where necessary to our structure, processes and procedures.

“Welfare of our members will be a key pillar of our dispensation. We will serve you truthfully and energetically and will be accountable. Our comprehensive agenda have been properly articulated and will be circulated in due course. We heartily solicit your cooperation and understanding as we individually and collectively strive to taking our alumni association to higher pedestals.”

The newly elected officers will pilot the affairs of the association for the next three years and have since taken over the administration of Times Journalism Alumni Association, at a brief ceremony in Lagos, recently. TJAA, a registered organization, promises to extend valuable programmes and activities to promote connections between all alumni for their benefits.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Become media entrepreneurs, alumni tell MAPOLY students

ITRealms:

The 1992 set of the Association of Mass Communication Students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State have told the Mass Communication students of the institution to explore how to become media entrepreneurs instead of looking for white-collar jobs.

Officials and members of the set, known as AMACOS ’92, said this on Tuesday when they came to their alma mater, which was known as Ogun State Polytechnic during their time in the school, for a mentoring programme in the department.

The association, during the programme, taught the students practical aspects of public relations, advertising, print journalism, broadcast journalism and blogging to mark their 25 years post-graduation anniversary from the institution.

The programme, which had as theme: “Classroom Experience and Post-Classroom Reality,” was held at the auditorium of the Mass Communication Department.

It had in attendance the Rector, MAPOLY, Prof. Oludele Itiola; the Director, School of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Goke Raufu; the Head of Department, Kolawole Amos; and the Sub-Dean, Lekan Oketokun.

An alumnus and Founder, Rave FM 93.7, Osogbo, Osun State, Femi Adefila, who spoke on: “How to become a successful media entrepreneur,” told the students that the days of white-collar jobs were gone, advising them to develop the mentality of job creators.

Adefila urged them to have the “can-do spirit” because, according to him, nothing is impossible.

"You must be pregnant with ideas and deliver it. You should dream big and always think out of the box. At times, there may not even be any box,” he stated.

Another alumnus and Editor, Nigerian Tribune, Debo Abdulai, who spoke on: “How a journalist can remain relevant in today's newspaper world,” noted that for a journalist to stand out, he or she must be creative and constantly seek knowledge by reading wide.

Abdulai also listed adaptability, carving a niche for oneself, taking initiatives, integrity and nurturing relationship as some of the ingredients that would make the students relevant in the media practice after leaving school.

He noted that the media industry, especially print journalism, in the country was striking, as circulation had dropped, identifying online media as the biggest threat.

“Your success as a journalist isn't just dependent on the right skills and experience, it is dependent on you showing initiative. How you show initiative plays an active role in your career and it determines how far you will go in your career,” he said.

The Publisher, The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, who spoke on online publishing, allayed the fears that online journalism might kill newspapers, arguing that newspapers would continue to survive despite the penetration of online media.

Oladipo challenge the students to start making money from their smart phones even while in school. 

The Vice-Chairman of AMACOS ’92, Adekunle Adeshina, speaking on public relations, urged the students to dare to be different in whatever they were involved in.

“Walk with confidence and engage in self improvement,” Adeshina said.

The “hairman of the set, Adekunle Adams, said the association in the past had donated equipment worth over N2 million to the department.

The ex-students equally donated a giant generator to the department on Tuesday.

Adams expressed the support of the set for the transformation of MAPOLY to a university of technology.

Appreciating the former students, the Rector, who was represented by Raufu, said the Department of Mass Communication was the flagship of the institution.

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AMACOS’92 alumni goes home to MAPOLY, mentors students

ITRealms:

The 1992 set of the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMACOS) of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta in Ogun State, has concluded arrangements to hold a mentoring programme for the students of the department on Tuesday, July 18, this year, reports ITRealms.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of AMACOS, Ademola Oni, told ITRealms Sunday, that the mentoring session with the theme ‘Classroom Experience and Post Classroom Reality’ was meant to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the set’s graduation from the school.

Oni also said that the programme, tagged AMACOS Class of '92 Silver Jubilee Homecoming, would hold at the Mass Communication Department New Auditorium at 10am.

He quoted the Chairman of AMACOS ’92, Adekunle Adams, as saying, “The programme is meant to interact with the current students of the department and equip them with necessary tips that will help them in their studies, give them an insight into their present and future roles in the society and prepare them for the task ahead in the industry and the nation at large.”

The Rector of MAPOLY, Prof. Oludele Itiola, ITRealms gathered, would be the chief host of the day; the Head of Department, Mass Communication Department, Mr. Kola Amos would be the host, while the President, MAPOLY Alumni Association, Mr. Hakeem Ayoade, would be the distinguished guest of honour at the event. 

It added that the one-day mentoring programme, where scores of the set members would be in attendance,  would consist of talks on Print, Broadcast and Digital journalism as well as Advertising and Public Relations, which would be handled by members of AMACOS ’92 set.

The statement listed the resource persons to include the Editor, Nigerian Tribune, Debo Abdulai; Publisher, The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo; Proprietor/Chairman, Rave 91.7 FM, Femi Adefila; Publisher, Newmail Online, Semiu Salami; and Publisher, Glitters Online, Kazeem Akintunde.

Also, among the mentors of the day are the President, Association of Voice-Over Artistes of Nigeria, Babajide Moronfolu; and the Chief Public Affairs, Head of Service Office, Lagos State Government, Jide Lawal.

Others are the Managing Director, Peak Point Media, Sola Ibirinde, and a Public Relations Practitioner, Segun Adebowale.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Utomi to host UNN MassComm alumni @ reunion party

ITRealms:

The alumni of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will gather Saturday, November 19, for a Reunion Party aimed at creating cohesion, coordination and contribution to the growth of the department and its products, reports ITRealms.

Prof Pat Utomi, founder of the Centre for Values and Leadership (CVL), will host the reunion party which comes almost 30 years after a homecoming in 1987 at Nsukka.

The Reunion Party would feature a Meet and Greet, a parade of Year Groups, and motivational talk by Host, Prof Pat Utomi, a mass communication graduate of 1977.

Mr. Chido Nwakanma (J85), the administrator of the Jacksonites Forum which initiated the Reunion and the coming together of the alumni, said the objective of the alumni group is to tap from the experiences and exposure of the large body of alumni to contribute to the upliftment of the department.

Starting from a WhatsApp Forum in June 2016, The Jacksonites has quickly grown into a formidable group with the primary aim of contributing to the development of media and communication study and practice as well as the progress of the mother department at Nsukka.

UNN’s Mass Communication Department commenced life in 1961 as the Department of Journalism and is the first full university department for the study of journalism and mass communication in Sub-Saharan Africa.

UNN founder and journalism pioneer Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe included Journalism as one of the pioneer study units when the University took off. He named the department Jackson Building in honour of John Payne and Thomas Horatio Jackson, father and son team who ran the Lagos Weekly Record as the most influential newspaper of its time for 37 years up to 1930.

The department has produced many distinguished graduates in all fields of endeavour, from journalism through broadcasting and adjunct media of advertising and public relations to administration. Participants on the forum include Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Information, Dr. Josef Bel Molokwu, former Registrar of APCON, and Sir Innocent Oparadike, the first non-Northerner to edit the New Nigerian in its heyday. 

There are also Mr. Femi Kusa, former editor of The Guardian, Mr. Kingsley Osadolor, Victor Ludorum of UNN in 1984 and former Commissioner for Information in Edo State and Mr. Osaro Isokpan, a former Managing Director of Nigerian-American Merchant Bank.  Also on the forum are the current head of the department, Dr. Luke Anorue, the first female professor of mass communication in Africa, Prof Stella Chinyere Okunna, Mr. Emeka Maduegbuna, Chairman, C&F Porter Novelli a leading public relations agency and Mr Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager of Vanguard.

Others include Airtel Director of Communication and CSR, Mr. Emeka Oparah, the General Manager, Government and Public Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria Mr. Paul Chidozie Arinze, the head, Department of Mass Communication, Delta State University Dr. Ben Nwanne, Mr Steve Nwosu, Executive Director of The Sun and many others.

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