SOCIETY OF NIGERIAN BROADCASTERS ELECT PROF. UMARU PATE AS NATIONAL PRESIDENT ALONGSIDE OTHER EXECUTIVES

Members of Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB) on Thursday, August 15, 2024 elected Professor Umaru Pate as their pioneer president. Professor Pate is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State.

Hundreds of delegates, drawn for the televisions, radio stations and digital platforms from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, converged on Abuja for the first National Conference of the Society held at the NICON Luxury between Wednesday and Thursday.

During the event, there was serious brainstorming, panel discussions and paper presentations on the future of the broadcast industry in Nigeria.

The election of executives that would lead the association took place on Thursday.

The Electoral Committee Chairman, who is a former National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Director General, Engr. Yomi Bolanrinwa announced Pate as the president.

Prof. Pate defeated Mr. Okoduwa Matthew Eigbobor, a former Zonal Director of NBC with 231 votes against 12 to become the Pioneer SNB President.

Also, Mrs Christabel Ojay Iyanya, Managing Director, Joy FM, Otukpo emerged as Deputy National President, Mr. Festus Kehinde, former GM, Ogun State TV as National Treasurer, Malam Ado Sa’idu Warawa of Freedom Radio as North West Zonal Vice-President, Mr Deji Balogun, Head of Government Relations, ChannelsTV as South West Zonal Vice-President, Alh. Ismail Sani, Chairman/CEO WTV as North Central Zonal Vice-President, Mr Frederick Fabor, GM, Bayelsa TV as South-South Zonal Vice-President and Adamu Isa Abadam, former GM, Borno Radio & TV as North East Zonal Vice-President all emerged as unopposed.

Speaking after emerging as the duly elected president of SNB, Prof. Pate thanked members of SNB for finding him worthy to lead the association and promised to do his best to make it great.

Before he was appointed the Vice Chancellor of the FUK in February 2021, he had served as the founding Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano and the immediate past Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the Acting Chair of the Committee of Deans and Directors in the same University (2019-2021).

Equally, he was the immediate past Vice Chairman of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Advisory Group and a Member of the National Research and Development Standing Committee.

Before relocating to BUK as a Professor, he had served as a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri where he rose through the ranks beginning as a Graduate Assistant, an Associate Professor in 2002 and full Professor in 2007.