NUC Did Not Abolish Mass Communication Degree- Spokesman 

The National Universities Commission has said that the unbundling of Mass Communication does not mean that students cannot study it as a degree programme in tertiary institutions.

NUC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ibrahim Yakassai made the disclosure recently.

The Executive secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, had announced that it had unbundled Mass communication into seven other fields of study, stressing that it would take effect from the 2020 admission.

According to Ibrahim, what the commission did was at the demand of relevant stakeholders, aimed at ensuring that students gain more knowledge and skill in the media profession.

“Mass Communication is still available as a degree programme of study in Nigerian universities, we didn’t abolish the course ,what we have done is just that we have unbundled the programme in seven other Degree courses providing more opportunities for people to study beyond mass communication.

“The demand to unbundle the programme from the stakeholders was on the increase hence the NUC had to look into it,” he said.

Recall that Professor Umaru Pate, one of those who fashioned the new curriculum, said to THE WHISTLER, that “mass communication is a very broad field and there are also some specializations and areas; the only thing is that candidates will be deeper trained and will also be exposed to newer trends in specific areas of Mass communications.”

Voice of Nigeria also reported that Yakassai emphasized that for any university to begin the new programmes, the Institution must write officially to NUC to carry out accreditation exercise.

He said that universities reserve the right to retain mass communication programme and also begin the newly introduced curricula in their institution.

 “Moreso, these universities now have authority to maintain their mass communication as a course as well begin other courses in Advertising, cinematography, broadcasting,film and multimedia studies, development Communications  studies, information and.media studies as degree courses,” he said.