University of Lagos (UNILAG) has upgraded its 59-year old Department of Mass Communication into a full-fledged Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS).
The iconic institution has also elected Professor Oloruntola Sunday, former Head of the Mass Communication Department, as the pioneer Dean of the new Faculty.
Also elected is Dr. Ebony Oketunmbi who emerged as Sub-Dean of the Faculty.
The election which was conducted on June 20, 2025, marked a historic milestone for media education in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the department was initially created as an Institute of Mass Communication under a UNESCO-UNDP partnership, and it has, in its 59 years of existence, trained generations of media icons, including Pulitzer winner Dele Olojede, John Momoh (Channels TV), and Abike Dabiri-Erewa (the NiDCOM Chair).
The Mass Communication Department has a rich history, having undergone several transformations since its inception.
Among renowned academics who have led the Department were the late Professor Alfred Opubor, Professor Onuora Nwuneli, and Professor Ralph A. Akinfeleye.
The Department has trained generations of media professionals across Nigeria and West Africa, including notable alumni such as the late Prince Tony Momoh, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Dele Olojede, the first African to win the Pulitzer Prize in international journalism.
The new faculty is expected to expand on the department’s legacy, which includes Radio Unilag 103.1 FM, UnilagTV, and award-winning publications.
It recently graduated 12 PhDs and 18 first-class students —all female—at the 2025 convocation.
The faculty aims to strengthen Africa’s media education and industry leadership.
Five things to know about the Professor Oloruntola Sunday, according to Platforms Africa, are that:
Oloruntola is a professor of journalism and also the chairman of the board of trustees of the Media Career Development Network (MCDN), a member of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. (AEJMC), and International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).
He acted as the assistant head of the department from August 2016 to July 2017, before taking over from Adepoju Tejumade, whose tenure expired on July 31, 2024.
Oloruntola obtained his first degree and master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a Doctorate in Agricultural Communication from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
He recently completed his sabbatical at Augustine University, Ilara-Epe as head of mass communication of the Department of Mass Communication and Media Studies which under his headship was fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) along with 12 other departments.
His media work experience includes working as a reporter at the News Agency of Nigeria, a features writer at The Republic, a business reporter at Citizen Magazine; and a senior production sub-editor at Daily Times Newspaper.
