Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Adamawa State chapter, Ishaka Donald Dedan visited the American University of Nigeria (AUN) on the 7th of April, 2021. Assistant Professor of Communications & Multimedia Design (CMD), Dr. Walter Duru received Mr. Dedan. This courtesy call, at the instance of Dr. Duru was focused on exploring collaboration and partnerships between AUN and NUJ.
"This is an institution that molds the future generation. As a journalist, I am interested in this. This morning I was in a CMD class. I chatted with some students talking about what the future in journalism holds for them. In particular, the situation in Nigeria needs a lot of information, we need to educate the public and inform them. This school is giving them the techniques, modeling, and building them and from here they go into the labor market ready-made. So there is a need for NUJ to come and see first-hand and from what I have seen, I am really more than impressed”. Said Dedan.
Dr. Duru spoke about why it is necessary to connect both institutions.
“We can’t have a world-class university and there is no collaboration with the union of journalists. One of the things that got us together long ago, was when I chaired the board, Freedom Organization of Nigeria courtesy of the British Council. We had training across the country and we were in Yola. The training directed media and legal practitioners on the use of freedom of information and communication applications. He told me then ‘I need you to come to have such training for a larger group of media practitioners’. Now I am with the university. AUN has the facilities, we will see how it goes. We need this partnership because there are so many areas and gaps that could be closed in the media industry and lots of gaps that need to be closed especially with a world-class university like AUN. The standard in AUN is very high I must confess, compared to others around the continent.”
For Dedan, providence played a huge role in his career and this fateful meeting.
“I am not surprised that AUN is where it is today. With the people in leadership. The Vice President for University Relations, Professor Abba Tahir gave me my first job as a journalist in radio many years ago. He opened up my eyes to journalism and showed me the way. Even in his Konngol Silver Tongue Language and Communication Institute. Can you believe he offered me free training? Because of that and by the grace of God today I am the master of ceremony of the governor of Adamawa State courtesy of Prof. Abba Tahir, he exposed me to know some of the rudiments. I am very happy this morning. Especially because when I went to class I saw the cohesion, the family setting. The spirit is one I like, right from the class and every other thing. I am highly impressed”. Dedan Said.
The NUJ Chairman is hopeful of mutually rewarding opportunities as a fall out of this visit.
“I am seeing the reality not just the possibility, from the warm reception, open hands, and how I have been welcomed, you can see already that it is pointing towards the direction that shows we will sit down to work together. I see greater collaboration between NUJ and AUN especially the Communications & Multimedia Design department. It will be a brighter future. Many people, not just journalists are going to benefit from this, the immediate environment as well”.
"If we continue this way, we can be sure that AUN will steal the show in Africa and there is not actually an alternative to this goal, sustained; there is nothing as good as having a cordial relationship with NUJ, and I am certain of a good collaboration. Let me also commend the effort of AUN so far for paving the way forward. We will go back to the drawing board”. Said Dr. Duru.
Accompanied by Dr. Duru, Mr. Dedan briefly toured the CMD and Communications facilities. He also met with the CMD chair, Dr. Suleiman Amu, the Vice President University Relations Dr. Abubakar Abba Tahir, and other members of the AUN University Relations team.
Reported by Gabriel Blessing