Mass Comm. Dept holds workshop on AI usage for staff
By Mustafa Abubakar and Bashirat Omotosho
The Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, has held a Capacity-Building Workshop for its academic staff on the effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching and research, as part of efforts to keep pace with rapid technological advancements in the discipline.
The Workshop was built on a hands-on training held in October last year, themed: “Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Quantitative and Qualitative Research (Literature Reviews, Data Gathering and Analysis).”
Speaking at the Workshop, held last Wednesday (January 7, 2026) at the Department’s Board Room, the Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Dr Patrick Udende, described the initiative as timely and necessary in view of the accelerating pace of technological change in academia.
He noted that Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly relevant to academic research and data analysis, stressing that equipping lecturers with the requisite AI knowledge would enhance research quality, efficiency, and analytical depth.
Dr Udende, who also participated in the Workshop, commended the organisers and urged staff members to fully embrace emerging technologies in order to remain relevant in contemporary academia.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Practical Coordination Unit of the Department, Dr Oba Abdulkadir Laaro, explained that the Workshop was designed to sharpen the intellectual and professional skills of lecturers, particularly in the areas of research innovation and contemporary teaching methods.
He disclosed that the training, which served as the concluding part of the earlier workshop held last October, would henceforth be organised twice every semester to ensure continuous professional development in line with the evolving digital and AI-driven academic environment.
Dr Laaro further revealed that the workshop was facilitated by seasoned academics such as, Dr Rasaq Adisa and Prof. Lambe Kayode Mustapha, who guided participants on the practical and ethical applications of AI tools in Mass Communication scholarship and pedagogy.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would significantly enhance the academic output and relevance of the Department in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Speaking on behalf of the facilitators, Prof. Mustapha, who is also the Director of General Studies Division, University of Ilorin, said the idea for the Workshop stemmed from the rapid shift in technological advancement, noting that academics in technology-related disciplines must be adequately equipped with the right tools to enhance service delivery in teaching, learning, and research.
Earlier in her remarks, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Saudat Sallah Abdulbaqi, who also participated in the Workshop, described the training as enlightening.
“I was able to consolidate what I already knew and also learned new skills in the application of AI to literature review, data gathering, and analysis. I equally gained a deeper understanding of the various applications of SPSS,” she said.
Prof. Abdulbaqi commended the Department for organising the Workshop and praised the facilitators for the rigour and depth of their presentations.
She also encouraged other Departments and Faculties to organise similar in-house workshops in order to stay abreast of advances in research within their respective fields.
All academic staff of the Department of Mass Communication were in attendance.
