UI Don, Ojebode delivers UI’s 466th Inaugural lecture thursday

Professor of Development Communication, Ayobami Ojebode will this Thursday, September 5 deliver the University of Ibadan’s 466th Inaugural Lecture.

The inaugural lecture titled, “In search of muted voices for the mirage named development”, will revolve around Ojebode’s studies on mass media and their performance in promoting development; new media and their use for development purposes; research and advocacy for community radio and indigenous communication.

According to Ojebode, the lecture is also targeted at bringing new thinking on the need to deregulate the Nigerian broadcasting system and to make communities the centre of most development efforts.

The Igbo-Ora born international scholar in the inaugural lecture will also give an account of his stewardship which borders on the overall message of his research development and indigenous communication and advocacy in the last 18 years he has been in the University of Ibadan.

“For me, the topic of muted voices and why and how to unmute them, sort of captures the overall message of my research and advocacy in the 18 years I have spent as a university lecturer”.

“I am hoping that the lecture will bring new thinking or further thinking on the need to deregulate broadcasting and to make communities the centre of most development efforts. I am hoping some government officials or agencies will take this up and press on for legislation that empowers and equips the community to be more effectively do things for themselves. We all think of ourselves as living in our communities rather than in our country,” Ojebode said.

The current Head of Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, Ojebode is the third Professor of the 42-year old Department to deliver such an inaugural lecture.

“I must say it is a privilege to stand on that podium on which the giants – Prof Unoh and Prof Odejide — stood. These were and are giants indeed. Mine would be the 466th inaugural in our great University. I feel the weight of history; I feel the burden of expectations,” Ojebode added.