By Sayid Kareem Talha
When the clock strikes July 30, 2025, the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences (CIS), at the University of Ilorin, closed the chapter of an era defined by quietness, strength, uncompromising intellectual rigour and an unwavering moral compass.
Prof. Lukuman Adesina Azeez, the first Professor of Mass Communication in the university’s proud history, bows out gracefully as a two-term Dean leaving, behind not just an office, but a legacy that will remain woven into the very fabric of the Faculty, the University and Nigeria’s wider communication scholarship for generations to come.
A Humble Beginning, a Scholarly Journey
Born in Oke Ogun, Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria, a region renowned for producing sons and daughters of grit, uprightness and scholarly devotion, Prof. Azeez’s path into the scholarly elite was shaped by discipline, vision and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He laid his intellectual foundations at the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG) where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mass Communication. Never one to rest on early laurels, he broadened his intellectual horizons further with a doctorate degree earned abroad, equipping himself with a global perspective that continues to enrich his teaching, research and administrative leadership.
In his calm but resolute manner, he has embodied the best of two worlds: the deep roots of traditional African scholarship and the expansive reach of global media thought.
Pioneering Mass Communication at Unilorin
When the story of Mass Communication at Unilorin is told, Prof. Azeez’s name will forever stand alongside the pioneering legacy of the late Mr. Doyin Mahmoud, regarded as the father of the Department whose dominant and visionary leadership set it on its feet. Working alongside this founding figure, Prof. Azeez played a vital role in nurturing the young Department into what is today one of Nigeria’s most reputable hubs of communication scholarship and professional training.
From designing curricula that met global standards to mentoring pioneer students and anchoring the early growth of the programme, Prof. Azeez’s steady hands ensured that the Department never strayed from its mission: to train journalists, communication scholars and policy shapers who value ethics as highly as expertise.
His elevation to the rank of Professor, the first in Mass Communication at Unilorin, did not just mark personal triumph but signified the maturation of the discipline within the University. It showed that Mass Communication was no longer peripheral but central to the University’s mission of producing graduates that are “Better by Far”.
Scholarship that Echoes Nationally
Prof. Azeez’s personal scholarly journey is equally distinguished. His research interests span media ethics, political communication, audience studies, cultural discourse, development communication and the political economy of media,critical areas that shape how Nigerians engage with information and how media institutions negotiate power and culture.
His works have appeared in respected local and international journals, cited by scholars from Nairobi to Accra, Johannesburg to London. His rigorous studies and sharp analyses have enriched classrooms, informed policy dialogues and provided countless students with a clear honest mirror for examining the unique realities of African media practice in a globalized world.
His scholarly voice has resonated at major conferences of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and other high level academic gatherings where the future of African media and ethical journalism is debated.
Mentorship: The Greatest Legacy
Yet beyond published pages, Prof. Azeez’s greatest pride has always been the minds he has shaped. Of the seven doctoral graduates so far produced by the Department, four completed their journeys under his watchful, demanding but deeply supportive supervision. Dozens of Master’s theses and hundreds of undergraduate projects bear the clear mark of his insistence on rigour, relevance and ethical soundness.
To his students and protégés, he is not just a supervisor but a mentor of mentors — setting standards that ripple outward through generations. Today, many of his former students occupy faculty positions in universities nationwide, hold editorial desks in major newsrooms and shape communication policies in public service. His impact continues to multiply because he has always believed that teaching is not about delivering facts alone, but about building thinkers, builders and guardians of public trust.
Championing the IIJ Ilorin Study Centre
Prof. Azeez’s influence reaches further still through his transformative leadership of the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) Ilorin Study Centre, which he has coordinated since 2015. His unique blend of discipline and vision turned the Centre into a benchmark for robust curriculum delivery and sound administrative standards nationwide.
More than 80 students have earned postgraduate diplomas at the Centre under his stewardship, many of whom have used their credentials as stepping stones for Master’s degrees at Unilorin and other prestigious institutions. His work with the IIJ reflects his unwavering commitment to bridging the often daunting gap between classroom theory and newsroom reality — ensuring that every graduate leaves not just informed but ethically grounded and professionally ready.
Leadership that Elevated a Faculty
Beyond his impact in the classroom, Prof. Azeez’s commitment to institutional growth is clear. As Director of Advancement, he strengthened Unilorin’s external partnerships and visibility, bolstering its standing as one of Nigeria’s foremost centres of learning and research excellence.
His two term- tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, Unilorin, has been marked by transformation. He championed curriculum updates that align with global trends, fostered research linkages with industry players and nurtured the next generation of academics, who are now poised to take Unilorin’s communication scholarship to even greater heights. He sustained a conducive and peaceful environment that enabled steady growth of both students and lecturers along the culture of excellence that he valued and to which he was committed.
A Devoted Muslim and a Rare Gem
More than titles and offices, Prof. Azeez’s life has been anchored by an attribute not easily spotted except by those with an instinct for true character: he is a devoted Muslim, a rare gem, whose humility, integrity and moral clarity stand as a quiet rebuke to shortcuts and mediocrity.
His religious devotion is visible not through loud pronouncements but through the daily example he sets: honesty in speech, discipline in conduct, compassion in leadership and a genuine respect for the rights and dignity of others. These qualities have made him a moral compass not only to students, but to colleagues and staff of all backgrounds.
A Tribute from All Corners
This rare blend of scholarship and character found its most touching testament when the non academic staff of the Faculty honoured him with a surprise send forth ceremony — an event marked by warmth and genuine affection. The Sub Dean of the Faculty eulogized him as a pillar of uprightness and service, while Prof. Mustapha opened a tribute page, inviting heartfelt words from those who know Prof. Azeez beyond the office door.
The Head of the Department of Mass Communication praised him as a steady anchor who set high academic standards and lived by them daily. The Faculty Officer Mrs. Akogun, the Accountant, his personal Secretary and other devoted administrative staff of the Dean’s office each rose to salute him as the very embodiment of humility, trust, knowledge and transparency — values they say will be hard to match in years to come.
For the Next Chapter
As the month of July draws to a close, so too does a remarkable chapter in the story of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Ilorin. But Prof. Lukuman Adesina Azeez does not step away from service — he only steps aside from the daily demands of administration. He remains, for many, the patient teacher, the uncompromising mentor, the quiet gardener of knowledge whose seeds will flourish far beyond the pages of any book.
For Unilorin and Nigeria’s Mass Communication community, Prof. Azeez is not merely a Professor. He is a model of the noblest ideals of academia: disciplined scholarship, sound character and a life of service beyond self.
A Legacy that Lives On
When the story of communication scholarship in Nigeria is written, Prof. Azeez’s name will appear not merely for what he built in offices, structures and syllabuses, but for what he built in people: the courage to ask difficult questions, the moral clarity to stand by truth, the discipline to do what is right even when it is inconvenient.
As this remarkable chapter closes and a new one opens, those who know him well understand that, for Prof. Lukuman Adesina Azeez, there is always more knowledge to share, more minds to sharpen, more lives to inspire. His legacy lives on in every student whose ideas he shaped, every lecturer whose career he nurtured, every policy his research has informed and every institution he helped to build.
May the seeds he has sown flourish far beyond the walls of Unilorin , and in the living chapters written daily by generations he has taught to think, to question and to stand for truth.
Congratulations Prof. Lukman Adesina Azeez. May your next chapter be as impactful as the pages you have already written, and may your story continue to remind us all that true greatness is measured not by what one acquires, but by what one leaves behind.
(c) Sayid Kareem Talha