Chido Nwakama in a facebook post writes on veteran journalist and educator who recently bagged a Doctorate degree from University of Westminister, London
One of the high points of December 2017 for me was the successful defence of their doctoral theses by two of my dear friends. Amuche Ngwu-Nnabueze became Dr Amuche Nnabueze of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. More on Amuche later.
So did Richard Ikiebe, educator and journalist, among many hats.
Richard Ikiebe early in December successfully defended his thesis that explored “The Press, National Elections and the Politics of Belonging” at the University of Westminster, London.
The thesis investigated the role of the newspaper press in the formation of Nigerian political culture and mainly as it has defined inter-ethnic politics.
Ikiebe now formally joins a club to which he had earned membership de facto through prodigious output earlier. Ikiebe has put together three significant works since joining the faculty of the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University. He enlisted as part of the laudable effort of the SMC to bring in experienced persons to bridge town and gown in the curriculum for students.
He quickly took to academics from years in private practice and a stint in Government and has been very adept at knowledge production.
He brings to bear the experience of nearly 40 years in media, public affairs, association management and teaching. Ikiebe has authored or edited two books of significance in Nigerian media studies. They are Future Tense (with Taiwo Obe, 2015) and Voices Beyond the Newsroom (2015). Voices Beyond the Newsroom is a four-volume book of historical discourse on the media featuring interviews with about 80 participants. Volume One features conversations with 19 leaders, and Volume Two features 22 persons. Media leaders witnessed the presentation of the two volumes on September 22, 2015.
He also put together Kolade’s Canons, being the thoughts of the respected Dr Christopher Kolade, boardroom guru and management expert. Volume Three of Kolade’s Canons deal with broadcasting.
Ikiebe has a life-long interest in the media. He worked with the defining media organs of the era, Daily Times, NTA, FRCN, and Newswatch. He was one of the first Special Advisers, serving in that capacity to Prince Tony Momoh as Minister of Information. He was Director General of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the board of Cornerstone Insurance Plc, among others.
Ikiebe also served on the on the 10-member inaugural Global Communication Certification Council of the International Association of Business Communicators, representing Africa.
Dr Richard Ikiebe is Director of the Centre for Leadership in Journalism (CLEJ) of the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University. The Centre for Leadership in Journalism focuses on offering bespoke tuition and mentoring to current and future leaders in the media industry particularly against the backdrop of challenges in the sector caused by technological and societal disruptions and developments.
CLEJ designs and runs programmes based on identified needs in various areas. The programmes range from the top-of-the-line Leadership and Governance in Media and Communication, a 25-day curriculum with an international facility tour component, to weekly or two or three-day issue-focused workshops.
PhD confirms Richard Ikiebe as an intellectual, de jure and de facto. It also follows encouragement by SMC to blood its faculty fully in the best traditions. Congratulations and welcome Dr Richard Ikiebe.
Nwakama is a Communication strategist, marketer, journalist and educator.
Mentor, coach and platform speaker
