| Communication, Media and Branding
Prof. Afolarin Ojewole and Mrs. Bimbo Oloyede (6th and 7th left) with Dean of the Veronica Adeleke School of Social Sciences, Prof. Gift Ntiwunka, Chief of Staff, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, Associate Vice President, Communication, Media and Branding, Dr. Babafemi Akintayo, Senior Vice President, Prof. Jonathan Nwosu (2nd - 5th left)and Head of Mass Communication Department, Dr. Ifeoluwa Atakiti (2nd right) and other BU faculty.
Mrs. Bimbo Oluyode receives a Babcock souvenir from Dean of the Veronica Adeleke School of Social Sciences, Prof. Gift Ntiwunka
BU President/Vice Chancellor, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole (left) receives a copy of the book from the author, Mrs. Bimbo Oluyode.
Veteran broadcaster and Nigeria’s first female network newscaster, Mrs. Bimbo Oloyede, has been celebrated for her enduring impact during a courtesy visit to Babcock University. She donated five copies of her new book, Communication and Media in Nigeria: Celebrating Bimbo Oloyede’s Contribution to Five Decades of Theory, Practice and Transformation, to the University library.
Professor Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole, President/Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, praised her legacy and book publication describing it as “a very smart and wise way of never dying because even after we are gone, people can still benefit from our wisdom. We thank you for being a guiding light, a voice for the voiceless, and a conscience for our nation.”
He also referred to the book as a valuable resource for students, adding: “We are grateful for who you have been, and for who you will continue to be. This is a good product that will be very useful to students in this industry.”
In response, Mrs. Oloyede expressed delight at visiting the institution noting, “From what I have seen, I have no doubt that those who spoke well about Babcock University were not telling stories. It is a peaceful and orderly environment, and I am sure a lot of good memories are made here.”
Her book, co-authored with 60 seasoned professionals, addresses broadcasting, film, advertising, public relations, and aspects of mass communication history. She explained: “I may not be a scholar, but I was driven by a desire to bridge the town-gown gap in media practice.”
A household name since the 1970s, Mrs. Oloyede made history in 1976 as Nigeria’s first female network newscaster on NTA, anchoring the opening broadcast of FESTAC ’77 and setting a new standard for professionalism in broadcasting. Beyond her on-screen career, she co-founded Media International Enterprises Ltd, established the Strictly Speaking communication consultancy, and founded the Women Optimum Development Foundation (WODEF) to champion gender equality and women’s empowerment.
With 58 years of professional brilliance distilled into this landmark publication, Mrs. Oloyede continues to inspire generations of media practitioners, scholars, and students across Nigeria