Photo caption: Prof. Oloruntola Sunday
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has elevated its Department of Mass Communication to a faculty.
The Department of Mass Communication, which hitherto was in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the university has now become a new faculty – Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS).
Professor Oloruntola Sunday, former Head of the Mass Communication Department, was unanimously elected as the pioneer Dean of the newly created faculty, while Dr. Ebony Oketunmbi was elected Sub-Dean. Their election was announced at the Board Room 2 of the Faculty of Social Sciences today, June 20, 2025, by the Principal Assistant Registrar, Senate and Ceremonies, Mr. Abayomi Osinowo, who led three other members of the committee to conduct the election.
The elevation comes 58 years after the Department was established in 1966 as an Institute of Mass Communication, following a bilateral agreement between the Federal Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNESCO. The department was created with the vision of serving as a centre for training journalists in the African sub-region, with Professor S. Scotten as its first Dean.
Speaking before the election, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, expressed mixed emotions about the development, describing it as “a regretful exit”. While acknowledging that “children have to be greater than the parents”, he prayed that the new faculty would become the first globally, emphasising that it is already “the first in Nigeria, West Africa, and Africa”. He wished the new faculty success in all its endeavours.
The Mass Communication Department has undergone several transformations since its inception. Initially housed within the University’s Library Complex, it later moved to the Faculty of Arts before being integrated into the Faculty of Social Sciences in February 1974. The department has been led by distinguished academics, including the late Professor Alfred Opubor, Professor Onuora Nwuneli, and the Jagaban of Mass Communication, Professor Ralph A. Akinfeleye. The Department has trained generations of media professionals across Nigeria and West Africa.
Some of her past students include the late Prince Tony Momoh, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mrs. Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, Mr. John Momoh, Mr. Dele Olojede, the first African to win the Pulitzer Prize in international journalism, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, among others.
The new Faculty of Communication and Media Studies represents the culmination of decades of growth and academic excellence. From its humble beginning as a one-year diploma program in 1966 to degree awarding in 1968, the department has consistently evolved to meet the changing needs of media education in Nigeria and West Africa. At the 2025 Unilag convocation, the Department graduated 12 PhD candidates and 18 all-female first-class students with B.Sc. degrees.
Speaking on behalf of the department at the ceremony, Dr. Ibitayo Popoola described Professor Sunday as “a man of history” and thanked the Vice-Chancellor for fulfilling her promise to unbundle the Department. He prayed to God to grant her the grace to fulfil all her grand visions for the university.
The Dean’s office holds a renewable two-year term, while the Sub-Dean position is for a one-year term.
The new Faculty of Communication and Media Studies is expected to build on the department’s legacy of media excellence in Africa, including its operation of Radio Unilag 103.1 FM, UnilagTV, Unilag Sun Newspaper, and MassCope Magazine, which provide practical training for broadcast and print students and serve the university community.
