Dr Lukman Azeez, the Coordinator, International Institute of Journalists (IIJ), Ilorin Campus, says unbundling of Mass Communication may lead to drastic reduction of number of students offering journalism.
Azeez made the assertion on Tuesday while fielding questions with newsmen at the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) on readiness of the institution to commence unbundling the course.
According to him, unbundling of mass communication may cause students’ apathy in journalism due to a probable shift of interest to Public Relations and Advertising.
He said that students are now interested in the more lucrative aspect of Mass Communication such as Advertising and Public Relations, among others.
Azeez, who is also a former Head of the Department of Mass Communication, however said that the Department of Mass Communication of Unilorin was preparing a proposal on the establishment of the Faculty of Mass Communication.
This, he said, was as a result of recent directive of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to unbundle the discipline into seven separate degree-awarding programmes to meet present demand.
The seven new programmes or departments, to be domiciled in a Faculty, School, College of Communication and Media Studies includes Journalism and Media Studies, Public Relations, Advertising, Broadcasting, Film and Multi-Media Studies, Development Communication Studies, Information and Media Studies.
The director said that the department was working extensively on the new structure and would get the proposal ready very soon.
He commended the efforts of government in providing funds and support to the university.
The don, however, lamented that it was not enough to cater entirely for the responsibilities of the university in the aspect of research, teaching and community service.
