Victor EzejaRenowned scholar and first female Professor of Mass Communication in Sub-Sahara Africa, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna says she feels delighted and proud to be member of the Board of Newstide Publications Limited as Deputy Chairman and member of the Editorial Board of the publication’s independent online newspaper, Prime business Africa.
She disclosed this in a chat with Prime Business Africa in Enugu State. Okunna highlighted what she said were the outstanding qualities she saw in the seasoned team of experts managing the publication, the reason she accepted the appointment.
“I feel quite delighted and proud to be found worthy to be so appointed, not just into the Board, but at that level of membership, because this is a publication that is already showing great signs of potentially doing very well.”
Speaking on the current quality of media practice, especially in coverage of socio-economic issues and events, she noted some serious lapses in journalism practice in Nigeria and expressed optimism that, with the quality of professionals deployed by Prime Business Africa and its integrity, “it is really going to find that courage and fill in gaps that are in business reporting in Nigeria.”
The cerebral scholar and research expert, Okunna, has over 40 years of experience, both in academics and in public service, an asset she promised to deploy for quality output at Newstide. On her projections for the organisation, she said, with the signs on ground, as exhibited by the Management, she could foresee the platform becoming one of the best five publications sought after by followers of economic and socio-political news across Africa in no distant time.
In between her career in the academia, she served as Chief of Staff, Commissioner in the Ministries of Information and Culture, Economic Planning and Budget under Mr. Peter Obi’s administration as governor of Anambra State.
Commenting on Prof. Okunna’s appointment, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Prime Business Africa, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, who oversees the operations of Newstide Publications Limited, described her as “perfect fit for the times” and a genuine answer to the current challenges facing the media industry.
“As an astute teacher of Journalism -the first female professor in that academic space for that matter – public administrator and spirited crusader of justice, I have no doubt that her services at Newstide Publications and Prime Business Africa would be of great value to the country and the continent at large.
“She works hard at everything she believes in and never subscribes to failure. The Board, Management and staff of Prime Business Africa, therefore, welcome Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna with great excitment,” Dr Mbamalu said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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