Polytechnic Lecturer, Oyelola Commends NBTE, NUC For Overhaul Of Mass Communication Curriculum

Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State  — A Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Oyewale Oyelola, has lauded the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) for reviewing the Mass Communication curriculum in Nigeria.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Oyelola described the updated curriculum as a welcome development that will better equip students with relevant skills to thrive in the evolving media landscape.

He noted that the review came just two years after he publicly advocated for a comprehensive overhaul of the programme.

Recall the Mass Communication Lecturer while attending African Young Media Professionals Fellowship organized by the Center for Management Development (CMD), Lagos in July 2023 observed that existing curriculum does not reflect changes in the profession birthed by technological advancement across the globe.

He said, “It’s exciting to the introduction of news courses and modification of some courses’ contents to reflect new reality in journalism profession. Two years ago, I specifically called for review of curriculum in line with technological advancement such as artificial intelligence, computer based news verification tools, fact checking mechanisms and modern content distribution strategies across platforms.

“We now have new courses such as digital communication, fact checking, environmental reporting, health communication and others in the new curriculum. While contents of news reporting/media writing related courses have been reviewed to include latest trends in the industry”.

Oyelola who is also the Vice President of Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) expressed optimism that the implementation of new curriculum will bridge the gap between the classroom and trends in the industry.