Prof Umaru Pate’s Opening Speech at 2017 Conference

Welcome Remarks By Prof Umaru Pate, Deputy President, ACSPN, Sept 6, Kano

Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Hon of Information, Culture and Tourism
Professor Jibril Aminu, elder statesman and former senator of the Federal Republic
Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello, the Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano
Professor Fackson Banda, Programme Specialist, Communicator and Information Sector, UNESCO
Principal Officers of the Bayero University, Kano
Professor Abdullahi Sule-Kano, former National President of ASUU and the current
Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, BUK
Dr Oladele Rotimi, President of NIPR
National Secretary of the NUJ
Professor Lai Oso, President of the ACSPN
Professor Danjuma Gambo, National Coordinator of the ACCE
Members of the BOT of the ACSPN
Executive Council Members of the ACSPN and ACCE
Distinguished Professors and eminent professionals
Media Managers
Our Distinguished members
Ladies and Gentlemen, All Friends of the Association

Assalumu Alaikum Jama’a
We welcome you all most warmly for coming to share with us the complete joy of the momentous occasion of the holding of the 4 th Annual Conference of our Association here in the ancient city of Kano, the center of commerce and learning.

Happily too, it coincides with the exciting pleasure of commissioning the buildings in our Faculty of Communication and on our campus in Bayero University.

I welcome the Governor, His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who is not only here as our beloved Governor and generous friend but more so as a leader who cares about communication and a believer in the centrality of ethical communication in societal development. The Governor is absent because of the understandably challenging activities of his office. Happily, he is well represented by the Hon Commissioner for Information, Youths and Sports, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, the immediate past National President of the NUJ. Mal Garba is an excellent friend of the association. He facilitates our meeting with the Govenor and indeed convince His Excellency to grant me the rare opportunity to address the State Executive Council in session. I remain delighted on the exceptional honor
and warm reception granted to me and my team and by extension, the Association. We thank the Governor, his cabinet and the State for their generous assistance in hosting the conference.

Hearty welcome goes to the Honorable Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and a respected Lawyer, administrator and a fine public speaker. We are
highly elated that the Minister has been able to come here in spite of his formidable schedule as the spokesman of the Federal Government and knowing that today is the day for the holding of the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. This is a demonstrable testimony of the Minister’s love, respect and appreciation for the ACSPN as well as Bayero University where he has graciously accepted to commission the academic and multimedia complexes today.

We are highly delighted to have with us an elder statesman, a friend to the communicator sector, distinguished scholar, accomplished administrator, a diplomat and a disciplined politician, Professor Jibril Aminu. We are overjoyed that he has accepted to travel from far to chair today’s occasion and demonstrate his long standing fraternity with the communicator sector and Bayero University, Kano. Let me use this occasion, to, on behalf of everyone, congratulate you on attaining the dignified age of 78 few days back. May Allah (SAW) grant you more fruitful years, good health and increased wisdom ahead, amen

I welcome my amiable Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello and his team of principal officers. Bayero University and specifically, the Vice Chancellor have been very supportive to communicating training and research as well as the ACSPN in all ways they could. Because of the commitment of the VC, today, BUK
has a faculty of communication, and ultra-modern complex housing the deanery, academic wing, multimedia block and a performance theatre which the Hon Minister will commission shortly. Not so many Universities are lucky to have communication friendly VC like ours. We thank you, Sir. I welcome a true son of Africa, Zambian by born but globally acknowledged Professor Fackson Banda, programme specialist in the communicator and information sector with mandate on communication training and curriculum development at the UNESCO head office in Paris. Bringing Professor is not the easiest of tasks. I have been tracking and talking with him for over a year, to the point that I felt I was harassing him to find time to come to Nigeria for our curriculum review initiative.

Having Prof Banda and UNESCO in the process is of immense significance for the discipline in Nigeria. We welcome you, Sir. Our senior colleague and highly respected Professor Abdullahi Sule-Kano is here with us to deliver the lead paper of the day. Though, a Political Economist, by training, the Professor is vastly informed, widely diverse and eminently qualified to speak on the connection between communication governance and development; hence, our justified choice of Professor Abdullahi Sule-Kano, one time President of ASUU and currently, the Director of Research, Innovations and Partnership in BUK. We appreciate the sacrifice you have made in staying to deliver today’s paper instead of being in Abuja for the crucial negotiations with government.

I acknowledge the dignified presence of the National President of the NIPR, Dr Oladele Rotimi as well as that of the National Secretary of the NUJ, Mr. Shuaibu Usman Leman ably represented and Professor Danjuma Gambo, the National Coordinator of the African Council for Communication Education (Nigeria). Individually, they are brand names that have provided dynamic leaderships to the three major stakeholders in the Nigerian communication sector.

I welcome all our distinguished Professors, eminent professionals, and media managers who are here with us in different capacities. Specifically, let me recognize our elders like Prof Lai Oso, Prof Nosa Owens-Ibie, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, Dr Tonnie Iredia, Dr Olayinka Esan, Prof Olatunji Rotimi, Prof Nnayalego Okoro, Prof Bashir Ali, Dr Umar Faruk, Dr Mojaiye, Dr Mohammed Gujbawu, Dr Mande Samaila, Dr Balarabe Maikaba and many more. Forgive me for not being able to mention each one of you by name. Know that the ACSPN is highly appreciative of your presence. We are glad that you have found time to join us here.

Finally, I welcome all our members and friends who have come from far and near to attend the 4 th Annual Conference of the ACSPN, witness the commissioning of our Faculty buildings and participate in reviewing the current mass communication curriculum in the country. We acknowledge your highly meaning presence here. As always, we appreciate you and plead with you to accept the expressions of our highest regards.

Thank you for your kind attention.