The University of Ilorin (Unilorin) is set to partner with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) to deliver two Master's degree programmes on Peace and Security Studies.

The partnership, when finalised, would have the university's Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) work closely with CJID to deliver the programmes in peace and digital studies, early warning and verification, and national security.

The partnership details formed the thrust of a recent meeting between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CJID, Dapo Olorunyomi, and the university's Vice-Chancellor, Wahab Egbewole, a professor.

Other top officials of the university were also part of the meeting which was held at the vice-chancellor's office on the institution's campus in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

Introduction

Speaking, the Director of CPSS, Ibrahim Jawando, a professor, said the centre noticed a gap and saw the need to bring in people with practical experiences in the peace and security sector.

“Through the CJID, the centre is establishing relationships with relevant and vital security agencies and necessary stakeholders to work with them and we believe UNILORIN can house everything,” he said.

He explained that the planned collaborative programme would be run through “digital and physical means when it has finally been codified and approved for commencement by the university.”

Gbemisola Animasawun, also a professor, and CPSS staffer, said the essence of the development is to enable frontline responders of conflict to tackle global threats by leveraging digital competence to change the narrative of shortage of skills.

“If conflict entrepreneurs and terrorists are doing online radicalisation, we see the need to use the same tools of technology to pursue courses or initiatives that will enhance the security ecosystem, it's a common concern by the school and the CJID,” he said.

“We're trying to build graduates who can think critically, creatively and also act in the same way so we are targeting major players in the media and security areas. This effort will mark a paradigm shift of competence and capacity to protect locals in our society.”

Olorunyomi speaks

Speaking on the collaborative effort, Mr Olorunyomi, who doubles as the Publisher of Nigeria's leading investigative newspaper- PREMIUM TIMES, said the development is important “because information management in the conflict sector is central to conflict management.”

He said he believed the development is a step towards creating an avenue for digital tools, conflict resolution, and effective communication to flourish vigorously.

He also stressed the importance of capacity building for practitioners in that sector.

He said: “In the conflict sector, a central fulcrum is how communication is either managed or mismanaged and this has become a powerful weapon to understand the concept of conflict and how to use it as a tool to advance world peace.

“To make progress as a nation in the area of peace and democracy, it's quintessential to build necessary skills among practitioners and reformation of policies and communication can be refined to enable this.”

“On the global level, most tools are coming from journalists and you will think about fact-checking but how do we determine what's new? At the CJID, we have been working at the intersection of conflict, verification, and others for a while now. So, when the CPSS approached us for this, we believed that this is what the CJID has been doing for years with proven records of expertise.”

VC lauds CJID

Also, the VC, Mr Egbewole, expressed optimism about the partnership just as he expressed confidence in CJID's capacity to deliver on the partnership.

“I've been following your centre [the CJID] for a while and I'm conversant with the good work you're doing. On this basis, I am confident that our relationship with the CJID will add greater value to the university,” he said.

He added that Nigeria's security architecture cannot function efficiently until knowledge, technology, and other processes by way of in-depth research, are deployed in tackling security challenges.

“The security agencies might have invested deeply in training but the question is how much of this is of value and impactful in our society, so I'm extremely thrilled that the CJID is looking at this,” he said.

He added that the collaborative work would expand its reach beyond the citadel of learning, noting that the issue of security challenges like Boko Haram cuts across the West African countries.

The VC said the university would ensure that all institutional frameworks and documentation are fast-tracked to hasten the implementation of the partnership.

Some top officials of the university in attendance at the meeting include a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Suleiman Ambali, a professor; the university's Bursar, Oba Abdulbaki; the university Librarian, Tunde Omopupa, and AbdulKareem Oloyede, among others.