Historical Background
In 2018, a group of communication scholars initiated a project to investigate the communication climate in Nigerian public organizations. The study revealed that inadequate communication was a significant contributor to poor policy execution in the country. This challenges the long-held notion that insufficient human and material resources were the sole culprits. In reaction to the revelation, the scholars established the Tonnie Iredia Centre for Media Advocacy (TICMA) to sensitize policy actors to appreciate the inevitable role which effective communication plays in policy formulation and execution. In 2021, the Centre was formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a non-governmental organization (NGO) to provide training sessions on development communication, focusing on the diffusion of technology in emerging societies.
The success of these training sessions inspired a bolder vision in TICMA to set up a tertiary institution specializing in communication and media studies. In March 2025, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria’s regulatory body for higher education granted approval for TICMA to establish the Tonnie Iredia University of Communication (TIUC) in Benin City, Edo State. This milestone marked the realization of a bold vision: to create an institution that would redefine communication and media education in Nigeria and indeed, the African continent.
Essence of Specialized Education
As a phenomenon, specialized education emphasizes focused learning in a specific field, such as music, journalism, or medicine. This attentive approach enables students to acquire practical skills and knowledge, making them job-ready upon graduation. Specialized education has thus proven to be a game-changer, globally producing competent professionals equipped with practical skills and knowledge. In Nigeria, specialized universities in technology, agriculture, and medicine are becoming increasingly prominent. In 2005, the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode, was established as a specialized university dedicated to the production of competent professional educators. Similarly, the PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt was officially accredited in 2017 to provide tertiary education in the special fields of medical and health sciences.
Communication and Media Sector
Specialized universities in communication and media studies are relatively scarce, but their importance is growing. The Communication University of China, Beijing, is a notable example of an institution providing top-notch communication education. Across the globe, the rapid evolution of media technologies has reshaped work organizations and environments, creating a demand for repositioning mass communication education. It is in conformity with the evolving nature and demands of Mass Communication Studies that the Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City, Nigeria has committed to repositioning communication and media studies education. Beginning from the 2025/2026 academic session, the university plans to offer industry-relevant courses, promoting blended curricula, entrepreneurship, and prosperity. The overall goal of the institution is to provide job-ready, credit-ready programs for national and international students, driving industry-relevant learning and development.
On its face value, the task may appear daunting but the likelihood of success is quite high in view of the direction already provided by the National Universities Commission. It is indeed remarkable that the Commission is itself able to take credit for the introduction of specialized education in media and communication studies. By unbundling Mass Communication into its component parts, interested parties can now focus on specific study areas such as:
- Advertising,
- Broadcasting,
- Development Communication,
- Film and Multimedia,
- Information and Media,
- Journalism,
- Public Relations,
- Strategic Communication
Each of the above and every other allied discipline is now available to be picked as a course of study.
