NUC: ‘We Didn’t Scrap Mass Communication, We Only Split It To 7 Courses’

In a bid to clarify the confusion that greeted the recent unbundling of Mass Communication as a course in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has said that the course was not scrapped but only broken down into seven units.

The NUC said the course has to be divided into cinematography, media studies, public relations studies, advertising, broadcasting, film and multi-media studies, development communication studies, information and media studies to enhance specialisation.

On Friday, January 10, 2019, the commission’s spokesman, Ibrahim Yakassai, in an interview with Punch said that universities had the liberty to begin the new programs after securing NUC approval.

“We have unbundled mass communication, but we did not scrap it. Any institution that wishes to retain it could and those that wish to break it into different programs can; there is no confusion.

“Any university that meets the criteria would just start. It is the university that would meet the requirements in terms of lecturers, laboratory; it is left for them to start when they are ready.”

However, Yakassai said the approval of the courses is not automatic, adding that universities have to meet certain requirements before they can start the programs.

He also said that breaking Mass Communication down into seven courses would offer tertiary institutions an opportunity to have more degree courses.