Moemeka, Nwuneli, Akinfeleye, Quarmyne etc to Attend Alfred Opubor Conference

It is going to be a gathering of the giants in Ibadan from March 27 to 29 as the Big Names will gather to honour the late Professor Alfred Opubor. The list keeps on growing: Professor Andrew Moemeka (no introduction needed!); Professor Raph Akinfeleye; Professor O. Nwuneli; Professor Alex Quarmyne, and many others whose names you meet in literature everywhere you turn! It will be a long time before we can gather these titans again. That is why I am encouraging you to ensure you attend the conference.

The Keynote Address will be given by the eminent scholar, Professor Cecil Blake.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: On Day 2 of the Conference, there will be a fireside discussion by the Elders' Forum on the theme: "Communication Research in Africa: Where are We? Where Should we Be? How do We Get There?" Discussants will be the names mentioned above and more. Our own Papa--E. O. Soola, will likely chair the discussion.

I don't want to miss that! I don't want you to miss it either. You want to be a giant? Rub minds with one!

Abstracts of Submitted Papers

Here are the abstracts of the first fifty papers submitted for presentation at the Alfred Opubor Conference on Community Media. The Conference holds as scheduled -- starting on March 27 with Opening Ceremonies and ending on March 29. In addition to paper presentations, there will be an Elders' Forum where seasoned professors, mostly Professor Opubor's contemporaries, will discuss the present and the future of communication research in Africa. See you soon!

Participants Whose Abstracts Have Been Accepted

1.  AbdulRahaman Aderinoye
2.  Abiodun Salawu
3.  Abubakar Jibril
4.  Ade Media
5.  Ahmed Murtadha
6.  Aitoo Aitoo (Dr Sanusi)
7.  Akpoveta Emmanuel
8.  Alex Umuerri
9.  Allen Adum
10.  Andrew Alibbi
11.  Asemah Ezekiel
12.  Babatunde R. Ojebuyi
13.  Ben Nwanne
14.  Birgitte Jallov
15.  Blessing Obioma
16.  Busayo R. Ajayi
17.  Chigozie Eti
18.  Chinwe Akabogu
19.  Chris Haydon
20.  Dokun Omojola
21.  Duru Henry
22.  Ediomo Nelson
23.  Emmanuel Biri
24.  Emmanuel Ebere
25.  Emmanuel Ejike
26.  Emmanuel Ifeduba
27.  Ezeh Nkiru Comfort
28.  Francis Amenaghawon
29.  Frank Ugoji
30.  Ganiyu Mutiu
31.  Gini Nwachukwu
32.  Holger Briel
33.  Hyancinthe Ndoume
34.  Ifeoma Dunu
35.  Isiaka Babalola
36.  James Osemene
37.  Jenks Okwori
38.  Johanna Mavhungu
39.  Joseph Faniran
40.  Joseph Ikerodah
41.  Kunle Hamilton
42.  Kur Jude
43.  Ladi Sandra Adamu
44.  Lamidi Ishola
45.  Lawrence Adegoke
46.  Liesa Naumann
47.  Lukcy Marcus
48.  Mark Finney
49.  Martin Mathew
50.  Matthew Umukoro
51.  Michael Kombol
52.  Miriam Menkiti
53.  Moh’d Umar-Buratai
54.  Motilola Akinfemisoye
55.  Nelson Okorie
56.  Nwadiuto Nnabuko
57.  O. Adeyanju
58.  Olawale Oni
59.  Olujimi Kayode
60.  Olusola Oyero
61.  Omowale Adelabu
62.  Omoye Akhagba
63.  Onwuike Chimaobi
64.  Oses Osasuyi (Eneli Enobakhre)
65.  Paola Sartoretto
66.  Patience Onekutu
67.  Paul Umolu
68.  Sam Kafewo
69.  Seyi E. Akinwehinmi
70.  Sola Adeyanju
71.  Somacom Cybercafe (Mr Ojo)
72.  Sonya De Masi
73.  Tsebee Asor
74.  Tunde Akanni
75.  Tunde Oni
76.  Ugochukwu Moses
77.  Usaini Suleimanu
78.  Valentina Bau

Conference Poster

Conference Update I

Please note the following:

1. Scope Of Participation:
(a) The Conference will discuss Community Media within a wide scope which incorporates a variety of media platforms- radio, television, theatre, print media, new communication technology applications, etc .
(b) There will also be an unrestricted spectrum of presentation formats and materials to cover: presentation of papers (academic/research materials or project reports); project demonstrations, documentaries on field work and so on.
(c) Participation is open to all community media stakeholders: academia, civil society, students, community media owners and workers, development agencies, regulatory bodies, executive and legislative organs of government, professionals and so on.
(d) There is ample room for participants who do not wish to make presentations but want to be in the conference to learn, take part in discussions/activities and join in celebrating the ALFRED OPUBOR BRAND.
(e) Mode of presentation could be dramatization, straight academic presentation or community demonstration and presentation.

2. Hotel Accommodation: The LOC has liaised with and compiled the contact details and tariffs of a number of hotels which are located within a radius of six (6) kilometres from the University of Ibadan, the conference location. Prospective participants are encouraged to contact the hotels of their choice and make their bookings very early. International participants and others who are not very familiar with the city of Ibadan are advised to book into U.I Hotels which houses the conference venue, within the University Of Ibadan. The details on the hotels can be accessed at www.alfredopubor.org/......

3. Registration: is essential for all participants in the conference.
DIRECT INQUIRIES TO: opuborconference@yahoo.com; comlangarts@gmail.com. And we will reach you within a short time.

Call for Abstracts & Participation!

The Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Lagos, Nigeria; the African Languages Technology Initiative (ALT-I), Ibadan, Nigeria; and the Nigerian Community Radio Coalition jointly invite you to an international conference to commemorate the 75th Birthday Anniversary of Prof Alfred Opubor, first Nigerian professor of Mass Communication.

THEME: “IF COMMUNITY MEDIA IS THE ANSWER, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?”

Those were the words of the first Nigerian Professor of Mass Communication, Professor Alfred Opubor, and the title of one of his most discussed articles. Though that question was raised in 2000 in a book published by UNESCO, the issues that gave rise to it are still as urgent and improperly understood as they were then. The recent political events in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, the recent historic civilian-to-civilian transition in Zambia, the seemingly unending failure of the big media to significantly bring about participation and access; the recourse to neoliberal policies by African ‘democracies’ and the impact of that on the big media; are some of the issues that necessitate a thorough re-examination of that decade-old witticism. If community media is the answer, what indeed is the question? And how is it being answered? Are there more questions than there were? What are they?

SUB-THEMES: Paper abstracts and proposals for project demonstrations are welcome on the following subthemes:        

·         Community Media and new media technologies

·         Community media, policy and regulation

·         Community media, social media and social protest

·         Community media and empowerment/development: actual stories and potentials

·         Community media and the management of conflict

·         Community media, community/civic engagement and democracy

·         Research approaches in (and to) community media

·         Community media and gender

·         Community media and popular culture

·         Community media and diasporas

DATE: 27-29 March, 2012

VENUE: Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

TIMELINES:

Deadline for submission of abstracts = Nov 30, 2011

Notification of writers of successful abstracts = Dec 20, 2011

Deadline for submission of full paper = Feb 20, 2012

FEES: heavily subsidised to cover conference materials, lunches and teas.

Academics: N5,000

International participants: $50

Graduate Students: N1,500

Undergraduate Students: Free

Abstracts or proposals for project demonstration should not exceed 300 words. Abstracts should be sent to both:opuborconference@yahoo.com and comlangarts@gmail.com

For more information on venues, hotel accommodation, presenters and lead speakers, timetables etc, visit: http://alfredopubor.org

You can access the book in which Prof Opubor’s Chapter (If community media is the answer...) was published here: http://www.unesco.org/webworld/publications/community_media/index.html

Ayobami Ojebode, Ph.D

Chairman, Local Organising Committee.