The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has promoted Ibitayo Popoola, head of the Department of Mass Communication, to the rank of professor. The appointment was detailed in the university's official bulletin, Campus News (Vol. 019), released on Friday and seen by BusinessDay. Popoola, who joined UNILAG in 2002 as an assistant lecturer after serving as editor at the defunct Diet Weekend newspaper, has spent 24 years advancing through the academic ranks. He previously held positions as senior lecturer and associate professor.
A specialist in political communication, Popoola has published extensively in local and international journals. His textbooks, including Specialized Reporting: A Global Trend in Media Training (Volumes 1 and 2), Mass Media Law in Nigeria: A Professional Perspective, Parrot Journalism: A Guide in Investigative Journalism, and Introduction to Political Communication in Nigeria (2026), are widely used in media education. He has also written on leadership and faith, with works such as A Model Worker for Christ and a biography of Senator Tony Adefuye. Colleagues in academia and journalism have praised the promotion as well deserved.
Promoting a former newspaper editor who spent decades shaping media minds to professor is not just reward for longevity—it reflects a rare bridge between practice and theory in Nigerian academia. Tayo Popoola's career shows that real-world media experience can translate into lasting academic value, something few institutions genuinely prioritise. For Nigerian universities struggling to stay relevant, his trajectory offers a working model: promote those who have done, not just those who theorise. This appointment quietly challenges the insularity that plagues many academic promotions in the country.
