Graduates of Mass Communication under the banner of the Unilag Mass Communication Alumni Association (UMCAA) in conjunction with the University of Lagos are hosting an International Communications Festival from April 16-18 2024.
The festival which is a homecoming gathering for all graduates of the department will be a fanfare where the town will meet gown to share ideas about improving the communication profession as a way of making the country better. The three-day event will also celebrate the take-off of the department as a faculty after the unbundling of Mass Communication by the federal government.
According to the President of the Association, Mr Wale Williams, “As the number one mass communication department in Nigeria, we are all coming back home to our alma mater to mingle, share thoughts, celebrate, bring our experience to bear and most importantly, see how best we can continue to support our department which is about to be upgraded. We are determined to join the university in helping our new faculty take off with the highest number of resources that they can get.”
The festival will witness the second edition of the UMCAA Entrepreneurship Competition where three winning team and their companies will be assisted with funds for business startups, along with three-day exhibitions for products at the department.
Furthermore, days one and two will feature two Town meets Gown colloquia per day with the very successful producer Remi Ogunpitan of IBST and Hollywood filmmaker Ose Oyamendan taking the first day. Day two will have a veteran and former Managing Director of Independent Newspapers, Mr Ted Iwere talk about business on the second day and Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency will speak on New Media & National Orientation.
The third day will host the 6th edition of the Association’s Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) by Mr Simon Kolawole, publisher of The Cable online who will speak on the burning topic ‘The Dilemma between Journalism & Activism’.
The President of the Association further stated that invitations are being sent to all Communication institutions in Nigeria to join virtually to participate in the lectures.
Students at the department will be offered speed mentoring whereby experienced members of the association will mentor them in different booths on the first two days. The event hopes to reawaken the need to develop the right communication channels for the growth of the nation.
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