Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Mohammad Yahuza Bello
The National Broadcasting Commission on August 6th granted a Direct Satellite Broadcast (DSB) licence to Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
The VC who spoke at the opening ceremony of the interactive workshop on Broadcast and Investigative Journalism in Nigeria, Described that the station would operate commercial and educational services.
Furthermore the vice chancellor disclosed that BUK Mass Communication has produced some of the finest broadcasters in the country, adding that the birth of independent television would consolidate the institution’s move to revolutionize the study of broadcasting.
He also expressed BUK’s readiness to implement the newly approved Communication studies curriculum, which he said was incidentally championed by the institution.
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According to him: “BUK encourages investigative journalism for evidence based broadcasting to enable the media keep the process of governance accountable at all levels.
The vice chancellor stated that this was more critical in this age of fake news where it is easy for anyone to create and disseminate news items.
He hailed the MacArthur Foundation and other donor agencies for their sustainable support to the institution.
On his part, Professor Umaru Pate, a foremost communication scholar, and Dean school of post graduate studies (PGD) who is the convener for the event said, BUK has introduced journalism as a complete course, along with other courses to properly equip journalists with necessary skills to practice investigative journalism.
“We noticed that the environment we operate is hard for journalists to practice investigative journalism and the training we give is weak. Journalism is being taught by people who have never known how a newsroom operates. We also emphasize on the issue to safety for journalists,” he said.
Some of the guests who participated at the well attended event include, a former director general of the Nigeria Televsion Authority (NTA) Professor Tony Iredia, ace journalist Ladan Salihu and foremost broadcaster Cyril Stoba, who moderated the programme.
