Communique of the Two-Day 4th Annual Conference

Communique of the two-day 4th annual conference of the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) held at green desert palm hotels, Kano, from Wednesday September 6 – Thursday September 7, 2017.

PREAMBLE
The Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) held its fourth Annual Conference with the theme: “Communication, Governance and Development” between September 6 and 7, 2017 at Green Desert Palm Hotel, Kano. The conference is hosted by Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano.

Dignitaries at the Opening Ceremony included the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, represented by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Comrade Garba Muhammed; Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, FNIPR; Elder Statesman, Prof. Jubril Aminu (Chairman of the Occasion); Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello; Programme Specialist, Communication and Information Sector of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), Paris, Prof. Fackson Banda; Former Vice Chancellor of BUK, Prof. Dan Datti Abdulkadir, and the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Rotimi Oladele, FNIPR. Two books: ACSPN Book Series 2: Digital Media, New Order? Emergent Practices in the Nigerian Media Environment,
edited by Dr. Victor Ayedun-Aluma; and Multiculturalism, Diversity and Reporting Conflict in Nigeria, edited by Prof. Umaru Pate and Prof Lai Oso were presented during the opening ceremony.

The Conference attracted 75 participants from Nigeria, Africa, Europe and Latin America with a
special panel on “Media, Accountability and Wealth Creation”.

The President and Deputy President of the ACSPN, Professors Lai Oso and Umaru Pate respectively addressed the opening ceremony, while the Programme Specialist, UNESCO, Professor Fackson Banda, and the National Coordinator of the Africa Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Professor Danjuma Gambo offered their goodwill to the conference and Association. Other goodwill speakers were Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye and Dr.
Tonnie Iredia.

Prof Abdullahi Sule-Kano, Director Research, Innovation and Partnership Bayero University Kano, presented the lead paper, which dealt with issues on political economy of mass communication and the politics of political communication particularly in Nigeria. A special panel session chaired by Prof Suleiman Salau, Ahmadu Bello Univeristy, Zaria, followed, and the panelists were Professor Fackson Banda; Prof Nnanyelego Okoro of University of Nigeria, UNN; Dr. Balarabe Maikaba of Bayero University, Kano; Dr. Oluyinka Esan of University of
Winchester, UK; and Martha Onyebuchi of Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON). The Special Panel spoke on Media, Accountability and Wealth Creation.

There were seven syndicate sessions featuring paper presentations on varied sub-themes of the conference by distinguished scholars and professionals.

The following observations and recommendations were made as crucial in enhancing the significant role of communication in governance and development in Nigeria.

OBSERVATIONS
1. The public trust on conventional media especially government-owned media is declining in Nigeria and ownership pluralism as against content pluralism has given rise to social media as major source of news and information. But in most cases it has popularised fake news and hate speeches.
2. Governance and development in Nigeria are negatively affected by the lack of coherent national communication documents.
3. African media and Africans have allowed the western media to take the lead in information dissemination that would improve good governance and development.
4. There are no adequate training and preparation on data driven journalism in curricula education in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
5. There has been too much emphasis on governmental accountability without considering civic responsibility, while media houses in Nigeria have not played up self and ethical accountability.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Decline of public trust on conventional media especially government-owned media in Nigeria should be addressed and content pluralism should be encouraged over ownership pluralism thereby checking the popularization of fake news and hate speeches.
2. National policy on communication should be overhauled to bring about a policy that is locally relevant, culturally and socially nuanced thereby serving national interest.
3. African media and Africans should take the lead in information dissemination that will provide good governance and development in the continent.
4. There is need to restructure the journalism curricula so as to train and prepare journalism teachers, students and journalists on data driven journalism in Nigeria.
5. Media houses in Nigeria should play up self and ethical accountability as well as a synergy between government accountability and civic responsibilities in order to promote national development.

CONCLUSION
The conference is grateful to the government and the people of Kano State as well as the leadership of Bayero University, Kano for their hospitality and warm reception.

Prof. Nosa Owens-Ibie
General Secretary

September 7, 2017