Prof Mustapha Nasir Malam Dean Faculty Communication, Bayero University Kano
The Faculty of Communication of the Bayero University Kano (BUK) has admitted 140 Students for social media training in its newly introduced Department of Information and Media Studies (IMS) in the last two years.

The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Mustapha Nasir Malam who made the disclosure at Guest Lecture Platform for the students of the department said that, the courses in the new department were tailored to meet the demand of new technology in information management.

Prof. Malam said “With the upgrade of the Department of Mass Communication to Full-fledged Faculty of Communication, we now have three departments, namely: Mass Communication, Theatre and Performing Arts; and Information and Media Studies while the fourth Department of Films Studies is in the pipeline.

Dr. Nura Ibrahim, Head Department of Information and Media Studies, BUK
“The Department of Information and Media Studies is very unique because students are trained on the use of technology, especially the Social Media tools for information management.”

Speaking on the courses, the Head of the Department of Information and Media Studies, Dr. Nura Ibrahim disclosed that the programme will rely more on practical exposure of students to information technology in addition to theoretical components of the media studies.

“The programmes under the department of IMS include Computer-aided design, Basic Computer tools, Creativity and Innovation, Culture and critical thinking and Entrepreneurial Journalism.

“Other courses in the department include Social media campaigns, Data-driven Journalism, Web-based technologies and multimedia; Website design and management and Programming languages.

“To ensure that students are adequately educated on the new thinking in information management, the department will also rely on Guest Speakers who are practitioners and role models on specific fields to share their working experiences with the students.”

The guest lecturer at the occasion and the publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, Mr. Yushau Shuaib urged the students to be abreast of the dynamic and revolutionary changes in communication with the advent of information technology.

Shuaib said: “The social media has taken over the way and manner we communicate. In today’s world, we should never ignore the potentials of the large population of social media users, the reliability of instant information, the accessibility to timely response to enquiries and the opportunity to share Data and Media Sharing Platforms.

“The social media is not elitist. It has given power to the poor and the voice to the voiceless through direct, affordable, fast, instant messages on various channels of communication.”