Joseph Joy, By Ruth Ani, Amarachi Daniel and Onyekachi Agu

Enugu – The Department of Mass Communication, ESUT, will collaborate with the West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABMA) on mentoring and training of students.

The partnership which is aimed at giving the students the necessary exposure and raining needed o face the 21st century information and technology world, will see them being training in current media and communication courses with practical skills.

Speaking when the Mass Communication students visited the office during the 2025 World Poetry Day celebration on March 21, WABAM’s Rector, Dr Ken Okere said with over 40 professional courses they offer in the academy as well as their reach with other media practitioners, the students of Mass Communication Students in ESUT will benefit more.

He noted that the collaboration is part of his own way of supporting the department which he graduated from decades ago adding that the could help the department by providing a studio for them.

“WABMA is a professional communication training academy providing certifications and basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. We offer practical professional training in media and communications, so whatever degree you have from anywhere, you can come to WABMA and acquire practical skills.

“Skills such as broadcast presentation, journalism, investigative reporting, photography, video editing, digital marketing, AI communications, and many more. We have nearly 40 courses that we offer in WABMA, as I said, they are all skill-based to add to whatever academic qualifications you have.

“There is something called town and gown, which is the practice whereby universities collaborate with industries and organizations in the town. The university is the gown, where we are the town. Whatever is done in the university, there is a close community. If it does not benefit the wider society, it’s useless.

“In fact, all advanced nations have only advanced because of the practicalization of the research done by the academics, and that comes through collaboration called town and gown. Now, for WABMA, being a training media organization, we are interested in partnering with the Mass Communication Department of ESUT to enhance this town and gown dictum.

“And look out for ways we can support the department and ways we can help the students in the department with internships, skills in the industry, and the research done in the department can actually be practicalized for the wider society. And we already have a progressive Head of Department who is already thinking about it, and we would support the department in having a studio or other projects we can support in the department. Do not forget that I graduated from the department many years ago, so we need to support to to grow,” he stated.

On His part, the Head, Mass Communication Department, Barr. Dr Chidiebere Ezinwa noted that the department is open for collaboration with corporate bodies and media players in order to enhance teaching and learning.

He noted that WABAMA as a media institution will help the department achieve the goals.

 “We need these collaborations to equip the students with the requisite knowledge that will help them to be successful in life when the leave the classroom. An institution like WABAM offers the practical skills and this will give the students the leverage to excel.

“We are grateful to the management of WABAMA for this disposition and we are going to explore it,” Dr Ezinwa said.