A University teacher, Professor Godwin Okon of Rivers State University says the recent policy of the National University Commission (NUC) to unbundled Mass Communication in Nigerian’s universities is a welcome development.
Okon said this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt.
Professor Okon, a former Head of Mass Communication Department in Rivers State University, described the federal government’s decision as a good policy that would enshrine professionalism and specialisation in the discipline.
He said the policy is a global standard that would prepare students for a particular area of discipline that made up of Mass Communication upon graduation from institutions of higher learning in the country.
“The policy of NUC in unbundling Mass Communication in Nigeria is commendable.
“Actually, the policy is trying to place us in line with international best practices, because the discipline call Mass Communication in question is what l term as a capitorial line of discipline, meaning that there are many areas of specialisation in the discipline, and we should begin to look at the openings as areas of specialisation rather than seeing the entire Mass Communication”.
The don, however said that those who already graduated with Mass communication certificate have nothing to lose, but that with unbundling, there is compartmentalisation which he said is in line with the international best practices, especially universities in developed countries.
According to him, Mass Communication is now a faculty like other faculties with various departments as areas of specialisation.
The Nigeria University Commission NUC recently unbundled Mass Communication as a faculty instead of department in Nigerian universities.
The new policy enshrined various disciplines like journalism among others to be special departments for specialisation.

Enoch Epelle