Unwana Samuel Akpan – författare

This book explores sport communication in Africa and the African diaspora. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, it deepens our understanding of the importance of sport in African society as well as the profound and growing influence of the African diaspora in world sport, as athletes, scholars, leaders, and business and media professionals. Including contributions from leading African researchers and experts on sport in Africa across the fields of sociology, history, business, communication studies, media studies, and education, this book examines sport communication across a wide variety of contexts and countries, from the role of radio in developing awareness of the Olympic Games in Nigeria to the impact of Colin Kaepernick’s protest on journalistic practices in Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the USA. Presenting fascinating case studies such as print media and the historiography of football in Cameroon, racism in European football, and the relationship between sport, communication policy-making, and sustainable development in Africa, this book shines new light on key themes in the study of sport communication. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in social-cultural issues in sport, the business and management of sport, sport and the media, African studies, or development studies.

This book explores sport communication in Africa and the African diaspora. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, it deepens our understanding of the importance of sport in African society as well as the profound and growing influence of the African diaspora in world sport, as athletes, scholars, leaders, and business and media professionals. Including contributions from leading African researchers and experts on sport in Africa across the fields of sociology, history, business, communication studies, media studies, and education, this book examines sport communication across a wide variety of contexts and countries, from the role of radio in developing awareness of the Olympic Games in Nigeria to the impact of Colin Kaepernick’s protest on journalistic practices in Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the USA. Presenting fascinating case studies such as print media and the historiography of football in Cameroon, racism in European football, and the relationship between sport, communication policy-making, and sustainable development in Africa, this book shines new light on key themes in the study of sport communication. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in social-cultural issues in sport, the business and management of sport, sport and the media, African studies, or development studies.

For decades, the communication and media theories used to explain concepts, constructs, and themes connected to local Nigerian contexts have emerged from the West. But these Western theories often fail to properly convey insights to local issues in communication and media in Nigeria and Africa. Recently, there have been calls to view African nations as sources of refined communication and media knowledge. African communication and media scholars, both established and emerging, have thus increasingly interrogated the applicability of Western communication and media theories to indigenous African contexts.This climatic volume showcases a historical overview of Nigerian communication and media theoretical perspectives from experiences which are often complex and complicated. By moving away from a Western axiology and epistemology, this book domesticates, reformulates, and repositions the field to better reflect the cultural and communicative nuances of Nigerian experiences.

Dr. Carolyn M. Byerly is recognized internationally for her empirical studies and theoretical interventions. Throughout her career, she has presented influential theories, including the Model of Women’s Media Action, Reformulation Theory, and the Intersectional Political Economy of Media Theory. Her 59-nation study Global Report on the Status of Women in News Media remains the most expansive examination of women’s employment in journalism. Further, in her faculty position at Howard University she developed intersectional approaches to teaching, and student-faculty collaborations that advocate for federal communication policy addressing the lack of diversity in media ownership. Feminist discourse continues to demand fresh theory-of-knowledge interventions. By honoring Dr. Byerly’s impact on the field’s scholars and research, this festschrift frames and showcases the genial epistemologies pertinent, applicable, and relevant for situating feminist media studies in the pluriverse.

In Nigerian Media Industries in the Era of Globalization, editor Unwana Samuel Akpan provides a timely collection of relevant, key, and well-informed contributions on the Nigerian media industries in a changing media landscape. This collection assembles both media professionals and professors of media practice and theory to address how the Nigerian media industry has changed in a globalized world. The chapters apply scholarship, research, and industry experience to modern media narratives as well as a blend of Nigerian cultural concepts and idioms of communication. The contributors provide a historicized account of the Nigerian indigenous media systems and Nigerian mainstream media industry; examine media law in Nigeria and media ownership in Nigeria; express concerns over fake news in relation to elections; explore changes in journalism, broadcasting, health communication, organizational communication, AI in countering terrorism, sports media; and draw conclusions on how the media has changed in digital spaces. This book is essential for media scholars and media professionals who are interested in the growth and survival of the Nigerian media in the era of globalization.

The Akwa-Cross People of Nigeria: History, Heritage, and Culture is the first comprehensive book on Akwa-Cross contemporary historical analysis, and its historical reconstruction. The Akwa-Cross people are the second largest minority tribe in Nigeria whose tradition, culture, language, and history are fast dying. This edited volume is a timely effort in salvaging this information. Previously, historical facts about Akwa-Cross people and their region were distorted, misplaced, and misquoted. Akwa-Cross People of Nigeria: History, Heritage, and Culture edited by Unwana Samuel Akpan corrects historical facts about Akwa-Cross peoples and cultures and provides a holistic and historic text on the history, heritage, and culture of the Akwa-Cross people of Nigeria. The contributors present a compelling collection of studies that build on the path-breaking Akwa-Cross scholarship and offer critical narratives and analysis on tradition, culture, economy, religion, sports, and media of the people of Akwa-Cross. The themes treated in this historic book play a significant part in advancing public discourse on Akwa-Cross and add to the Akwa-Cross pedagogy.

Through a meticulous exploration of oral traditions and community-based media practices, Unwana Samuel Akpan, Eddah Mutua, and the contributors of Indigenous African Communication and Media Systems in a Digitized Age explore the intricate interplay between traditional African communication methods and the modern digital terrain to unveil how these age-old systems are continuously evolving in response to globalization and digital advancements. From the rhythmic beats of the talking drum to the vibrant tapestry of oral histories, this book traces how Indigenous African societies have historically disseminated knowledge and preserved cultural identities. It examines the transformative impact of digital technologies on these practices to explore the rise of social media, mobile connectivity, and online storytelling platforms within African contexts. Akpan and Mutua challenge conventional narratives of media development by highlighting the resilience and relevance of African cultural expressions in an increasingly interconnected world. This book is essential reading for Afrocentric scholars and those interested in media studies, cultural anthropology, and the dynamic intersections of tradition and technology.

This book surveys the African media industry, examining various sections of the media at the elite level. The contributors offer rich perspectives on crucial issues, blending practice and scholarship as former media practitioners and academics come together to fill a major gap in media practice and education in Africa.

This book surveys the African media industry, examining various sections of the media at the elite level. The contributors offer rich perspectives on crucial issues, blending practice and scholarship as former media practitioners and academics come together to fill a major gap in media practice and education in Africa.

This book fills a critical void in African research: a lack of engagement with the question of how digital capabilities can be harnessed to liberate Africa from the subtle grips of neocolonization.

This book fills a critical void in African research: a lack of engagement with the question of how digital capabilities can be harnessed to liberate Africa from the subtle grips of neocolonization. Bringing together seasoned and emerging scholars from diverse regions of Africa, the book dissects the intricate relationship between technology and the persistent echoes of colonial legacies. The authors distinguish between 'decolonization'—the historical struggle for independence—and the ongoing imperative of 'de-neocolonization,' an evolving battle against persistent but more subtle colonial influences, now manifesting in the digital terrain. With a focus on the profound impact of digital tools, the contributors question how these capabilities can serve as instruments of liberation in a globalized age. Through a comprehensive examination of the intersection between Africa, digital technology, and neocolonization, the book not only breaks new ground but also positions itself as an invaluable resource for students, academics, and professionals globally. By offering fresh perspectives, nuanced analyses, and innovative solutions, this book emerges as an essential addition to the global intellectual academe, reshaping the discourse on African autonomy, identity, and emancipation from neocolonial chains.

This book does two things, first it celebrates and honors the research, scholarship, and leadership of Comfort Memfin Ekpo, the renowned Nigerian professor of educational technology, who is the second female vice chancellor to head a federal university in Nigeria.

This book does two things, first it celebrates and honors the research, scholarship, and leadership of Comfort Memfin Ekpo, the renowned Nigerian professor of educational technology, who is the second female vice chancellor to head a federal university in Nigeria. This book also explores the profound impact of digital interruptions and disruptions in the broadcast sector in Nigeria, exacerbated by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). The book underscores the inadequacy of existing discourse to encompass the transformation of traditional educational broadcasting and programming. With Nigeria grappling with the highest number of out-of-school children globally, the book explores the urgent need to re-evaluate educational programs in the digital age, targeting marginalized populations hindered by factors such as electricity shortages and insufficient resources. The book, comprising contributions from senior scholars across Nigeria, aims to dissect the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and digitization in reshaping educational broadcasting. Unprecedented in its interdisciplinary approach, the book explores the intersections of communication, media, education, government policies, and the globalized landscape, offering a comprehensive analysis of the evolving dynamics in the field.

As the first comprehensive book on theorizing indigenous Nigerian knowledge systems in communication, media and culture, this seminal work seeks to excavate, reclaim and recenter indigenous knowledge and perspectives in understanding the complexities of Nigerian communication, media, and cultural practices. This volume also seeks to de-westernize, decolonize, and domesticate African communication scholarship by bringing together seasoned communication and media scholars to develop communication and media theories rooted in the Nigerian perspective, drawing from the country’s status as the most populous Black nation on earth, and its rich sociocultural communication traditions. These contributions aim to challenge and dismantle the long-standing dominance of Euro-American epistemological frameworks in the field. Established and emerging African communication and media scholars are beginning to rethink and question the application of Western communication and media-based theories to indigenous African communication and media experiences, exploring their creation, content, reception, encoding, decoding, as well as their cultural and contextual aspects. These Afro-ethno-communicative postulations help in identifying how these theories align or diverge from the unique cultural and traditional communicative experiences of the indigenous African people. In light of this awareness, the book seeks to revolutionize the way African scholars apply African and Western theories to interpret local media and communication phenomena in Africa and the diaspora. It emphasizes a shift towards recognizing and embracing emerging non-western indigenous theories, showcasing their potential to break away from homogenization and serve as catalysts for progressive advancements in academic African scholarship.