A 900-page plus festschrift on foremost African Journalism and Mass Communication scholar, Professor Ralph Afolabi Akinfeleye, would be presented on Thursday, January 27, 2022.
The classical publication titled ISSUES IN FOURTH AND FIFTH ESTATES OF THE REALM will be unveiled at the University of Lagos main auditorium, commencing at 12 noon.
The lead editor, Dr. Fassy Yusuf, who described the Festschrift as an encyclopaedia on Mass Communication and its various adjuncts, said it will be of interest to scholars, practitioners, and students in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, advertising, social media, and related disciplines.
He said the book is divided into seven parts with a section devoted to Tributes while other sections includes Media Law and Ethics, Media Social Responsibility, and Press/Media and Politics.
Dr. Yusuf said the Festschrift also contains erudite sections on Social Media/Information, Communication and Technology; Media Convergence and Digitisation; Communication and Development; Electronic, News, Music, Health, Print, and Sports.
The array of contributors makes the Festschrift one of the best ever materials on Mass Communication in Nigeria, if not in the whole of Africa, as it honours an iconic African scholar and administrator, Professor Ralph Afolabi Akinfeleye.
The editors of the festschrift are Dr. Fassy Yusuf, Professor Lai Oso, Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Professor Innocent Okoye, and Professor Umaru Pate.
The honouree, Professor Ralph Afolabi Akinfeleye, who recently retired from the University of Lagos after about forty years of service is the first African to be elected into the council of the global body of journalism and mass communication scholars and professionals – World Journalism Education Council (WJEC) with headquarters in the United States of America.
In a statement made available to NatureNews, Dr. Yusuf said the honouree bridges the divide between the gown and the ivory tower with his involvement in several industry activities including serving as Chief Consultant to the defunct Concord Group of newspapers and Editor-in-Chief of the Community Concord newspapers.
He was also Consultant to UNFPA (United Nations Funds for Population Activities), UNESCO, and UNICEF; Consultant to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Board member of the Nigerian Press Council and DAAR Communications Plc.; Chief Assessor of the Nigerian Merit Awards Committee; External Doctoral Theses Assessors to many Nigerian and foreign universities.
