The University of Lagos
has produced its first female Professor of Mass Communication. She is Professor Mrs Abigail Odozi Ogwezzy-Ndisika.
She was conferred a professor on Monday June 5, 2017, by the Council of the University
as the first female professor of Development
and Mass Communication in the Department of Mass Communication with an
effective date of August 11, 2016.
Prof.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Communication and Media Research (JCMR).
Prof.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika joined the services of the University of Lagos as Lecturer II in 2001 and
has served the University in both administrative and professional capacities,
having served as Acting Head, Department of Mass Communication from 1st
August, 2014 to 31st July, 2016. She has also served as member of several
boards and committees.
Prof.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika holds a B.A. in Linguistics and Communication from the University
of Port-Harcourt; PGD and M.Sc. in Mass Communication from the University of
Lagos; M.A. in Gender and Development from the University of Sussex, England; and
PhD in Communication Arts from the University of Ibadan.
Prof. Ogwezzy-Ndisika has over 25
years work experience in journalism, advertising and public relations. She
consults for various Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal
Government of Nigeria (FGN), multilateral and bilateral agencies, local NGOs
and management consulting firms. Some of the agencies and organisations she consults for are UNDP, UNICEF, UNODC, WHO, USAID,
DFIDPartnership for Transforming Health Systems Phase II
(PATHS2), and Electronic
Development and Environment Information System (ELDIS) among others.
In the
field of development, she has been involved in research, design of training
manuals, training workshops, conceptualisation and development of technical
papers, review of technical documents, development of IEC materials, monitoring
and evaluation of development activities, documentation, design and
implementation of communication strategy & action plans. She was a
member of UNICEF national team of master trainers on advocacy, social
mobilization and community dialogue tool (CDT) for the
prevention-of-Mother-to-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV; ENABLE2, a DFID-funded business advocacy programme to
build the capacity of media houses, to develop and sustain the content of pages; and UNDP
national team of trainers for “Professional Reporting of Electoral Processes
For Nigeria’s 2011 and 2015 Elections”. She has also worked with UNICEF on other related
programmes – water, sanitation and hygiene, avian influenza (H5N1)
and H1N1 amongst others.
She is a recipient of ELF
Petroleum Coy Ltd and British Chevening scholarships; laureate of the Council
for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA); laureate
of the African Association of Political Science, (AAPS)/Harry Frank Guggenheim
Foundation (HFGF); laureate of Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Washington,
DC; and 1991 best graduating student in Department of Linguistics and
Communication, University of Port Harcourt.
She is a member of the Nigerian
Institute of Public Relations (MNIPR); Associate Registered Practitioner of
Advertising (arpa); member, Network on Behavioural Research for Child Survival
in Nigeria (NETBRECSIN); member, Association of Communication Scholars &
Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN); African Council for Communication Education
(ACCE); Association of Women in Development (AWID); Association for Promoting
Nigerian Languages and Culture (APNILAC); and International Association for
Mass Communication Research (IAMCR).
She is also a member of the
editorial board of a leading national newspaper; member, editorial boards of numerous journals of media and communication
studies; Chair, panel of judges, 10th OAAN Poster Awards; and member,
panel of judges for the 9th OAAN Poster Awards and Wole Soyinka
Award for Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA), 2008, 2012, 2015 and 2016
editions; panellist, African Media Barometer-Nigeria 2011; reviewer of several
technical documents; discussant and panelists at various fora; and produced several development
documentaries. She has attended local and international conferences in Brazil,
Egypt, UK, USA, Malaysia, Kenya, Cameroun, Ghana, and Senegal; and published
articles and books locally and internationally.
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