The septuagenarian anniversary of Prof. Idowu Akanbi Sobowale, which was marked on April 3, 2011 with much funfair, will take an intellectual dimension on May 10 and 13 with the staging of the second edition of the Idowu Sobowale Conference (ISC 2011) holding at Caleb University, Imota, Lagos
HOW far has Journalism in Nigeria fared since its inception over 150 years ago?
What has been the pattern of control, ownership and management of journalism in Nigeria almost a century and a half after? Has there been a symbiotic relationship between Journalism practice and indigenous language in Nigeria?
These are some of the central questions that will be addressed when scholars and professionals in media and communication studies from within and outside Nigeria meet between May 10 and 13 on the grounds of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos for the 2nd edition of the Idowu Sobowale Conference (ISC 2011).
The first edition held in 2009 at the department of Mass Communication of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State attracted media and communication studies professionals and scholars who examined media governance and development in Africa.
But this time, the focus will be on the history and development of journalism in Nigeria and Prof. Lai Oso, Chairman of the ISC 2011 organizing committee say they have put everything in place to ensure the success of the second in the series of intellectual engagement in honour of Prof. Idowu Sobowale who is unarguably, one of Africa?s leading lights in communication scholarship. ?As you may be aware, Prof. Sobowale in whose honour this conference is named is a Professor of Mass Communication currently with Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. Prof. Sobowale is a thorough-bred academic, public administrator, pioneer of public opinion polls in Nigeria and distinguished former editor and war reporter and so it is not a coincidence at all that we are examining 150 years plus of journalism in Nigeria because he has been a part of that process and has taught journalism too and he still at it,? Oso said.
Also, a member of the organizing committee and lecturer in the department of journalism of the Lagos State University Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication (LASUAASOC) Kunle Akinjogbin disclosed that the conference is also organized to commemorate the 70th birthday anniversary of Prof. Sobowale who has served as three times special adviser and later commissioner for education in the first and third civilian governments of Lagos State.
But the idea behind the conference Akinjogbin said ?is to bring together media scholars and practitioners to review the contributions of journalism to the development of the nation and there is no better time to do that, than now when so much concern about how journalism can engender lasting democracy and nation building.?
To be hosted by the department of Mass Communication of Caleb University, Imota, near Ikorodu in Lagos, with anticipatory support from Nestle, Airtel, Sovereign Trust Insurance among other blue chip companies, both Prof. Oso and Mr. Akinjogbin expressed optimism that the conference will provide new perspective to the on-going debate on the state of journalism practice in Nigeria. ?We have called for papers on the main theme and the subthemes and the response has been amazing. We have also received assurances of participation from within and outside Nigeria. We shall be looking at sub-themes like the global context of journalism practice, ethics, law and regulations of journalism, gender issues in journalism, journalism, research, theories and approaches and of course political journalism which I am sure we will find revealing considering that we are on the march again,? Oso said.
The Professor of Mass Communication at Caleb University takes a tentative look at the future of the conference: ?I think the conference has come to stay. What we have also done is to ensure that the conference proceedings are published and circulated widely. I think those of us in media and communication studies need this kind of platform to constantly engage in a tense intellectual dialogue and exchanges. So this will continue.?
Born Idowu Akanbi, Prof. Sobowale was between 1964 and 1975 a journalist with the Daily Times of Nigeria Limited. He rose from being a cub reporter to the position of the assistant editor of the paper, before he left for academia in 1975. He was a war correspondent during the entire 30-month Nigerian civil war between 1967 and 1970.
He was reputed to have introduced opinion polling into Nigeria in 1978, after his return from Syracuse University, United States of America, where he obtained his master?s and doctorate degrees in newspaper and political communication respectively. Author of Scientific Journalism and Journalism as a Career, Prof. Sobowale teaches Communication Research, Communication Theory, Scientific Journalism and Communication for Development, among other subjects. He is married with five children and nine grandchildren.
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