Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State is to declare the 11th Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals (ACSPN) open on September 4, 2024.
The two-day event is billed for the Airport Hotel, Ikeja. The governor who is the Special Guest of Honour and Chief Host for the two-day event is to set the tone for the conference.
A statement by the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Prof Rotimi Williams Olatunji said the ACSPN is an association of scholars and professionals in communication, which holds its national conference to examine contemporary issues and challenges in communication and proffer solutions.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, during a visit to the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Prof. Olatunji said the visit was meant to brief the Commissioner on the level of preparation by the LOC and also seek the support of the state government.
He added that the Association, is an assemblage of scholars and communication professionals who meet to explore ways to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Olatunji said the 11th Conference was brought to the Southwest, especially Lagos, because of the level of consciousness and the support communication and information dissemination has received from the state. He praised the administration of Gov Sanwo-Olu for its giant strides in ensuring the state is up to par in technology and communication and hoped that such support would also be extended to the Association because of its wide network and pedigree of membership.
During the two-day conference, one of Nigeria’s leading investigative journalists and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi will give the keynote address on Digital Communication and Governance in Africa, while Prof. Svetlana Bodrunova of the Department of Mass Media Management, School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Head Centre for International Media Research, St Petersburg State University, Russia is to hold a Masterclass session.
Mr Omotoso received the LOC led by its chairman in his office in the company of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Mr Michael Olumide Sogunle.
Other members of the LOC with Prof Olatunji are Dr Jide Johnson, Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Dr Olabisi Deji- Folutile, Publisher FrankTalk Now, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, International Press Centre and Dr Olayinka Oyegbile.
Other events slated for the conference are the presentation of papers by various scholars and panel discussions among which is one on ‘Reimagining Artificial Intelligence in Communication and Governance’ by Prof. Rotimi Oladele, former President/Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Mr. Rotimi Odusola, Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc; Prof. Abigail Ogweezy, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos and Dr Monday Ashibogu, Managing Director, BillBox.
