Some Communication scholars have described the passage of Prof. Lai Oso as a colossal loss and a calamity not only for Nigeria but also for Africa and the world.
Oso, a Professor of Mass Communication at the School of Communication, Lagos State University, died at the age of 67 in a fatal accident on Saturday, while returning from Abraka in Delta where he went to serve as an external examiner.
Reacting to the development, Prof. Ralf Akinfeleye, member, World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC), in an interview with the news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) expressed his shock and devastation at the news of Oso’s death.
He described Oso as an iconic scholar who embodied humility and hard work, and whose contributions to the development of the mass communication discipline will be greatly missed.
“I am devastated, still in a rude shock at the news of Oso’ death. I wish this is not true. Oso was my greatest friend and brother. His demise is a calamity to the communication discipline in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.
“It is sad, disheartening and heart breaking. I am still shocked to my marrow. I was called by a colleague, informing me of his death which I strongly doubted. It dawned on me when my friend told me he was with Oso’s wife when calling from Sagamu.
“Oso’s death is a great loss to the discipline,” Akinfeleye, a former Head, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos said.
Akinfeleye further revealed that Oso had led a committee of friends who had given him a full-page advertisement in a Nigerian newspaper to commiserate with him over the recent death of his wife.
According to Akinfeleye, Oso would have been with him in Ondo if not for the external examination assignment he had undertaken in Abraka.
Akinfeleye emphasised that Oso was a great and erudite scholar who devoted himself to every task and lived his life for others, adding value and color to the field of journalism and mass communication.
He urged government to intensify efforts in improving the state of the roads across the country, as well as carry out thorough checks on the drivers from time to time.
Prof. Olayinka Alawode, the Dean of the School of Communication at LASU, described Oso’s death as a loss to everyone who had come into contact with him, including LASU, the community, and other universities.
He highlighted Oso’s sacrificial nature, saying his death occurred while returning from a university to examine students.
Alawode referred to Oso as “Baba Oso”, a father figure in the School of Communication, and credited him with positively influencing communication programmes in various universities.
“It will be difficult to find someone else to fill the gap in left behind. His death was as a result of his sacrifice on the altar of academic; he died returning from a university where he went to examine some students.
“He was a father to all. He really touched lives. There is no school of communication in any university that he did not influence positively,” he said.
Prof. Rotimi Olatunji, a Professor of Public Relations and Advertising, also expressed his grief at Oso’s passing, describing him as a pathfinder, role model, and light bearer.
“Oso made it possible for the development of nine programmes that led to the creation of a distinct discipline of communications called, “Unbundle of the Mass Communication in Nigeria”, he said.
Olatunji credited Oso with providing support and opportunities for growth to others, including himself.
The professor highlighted Oso’s instrumental role in developing professional masters and Ph.D. programmes that brought recognition to LASU’s Faculty of Communication and Media Studies.
The loss of Prof. Lai Oso is mourned not only within the academic community but also by those who have been touched by his teachings, mentorship, and contributions to the field of mass communication in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond.
“Oso gave me wings to fly, excel in life, and support my run after his tenure as a Dean of School of Communication. I took the position. He was very detriablised, open-minded to national issues and a true Nigerian.
“Oso developed professional masters for HND holders and also Ph.D programmes for our MSc students, which brought LASU into limelight, especially our Faculty of Communication and Media Studies.
“To me, his demise is a personal loss,” he said.