The University of Ibadan has elevated Dr Babatunde Ojebuyi to the rank of full professor in the Department of Communication and Language Arts, recognising a career that has combined methodological rigour with social relevance across nearly two decades of scholarship. His promotion underscores the institution’s role as a leading centre for communication research in Africa and highlights the growing global impact of Nigerian academics in the field.
Ojebuyi’s research record is distinguished by both breadth and depth. His most cited work, Mobile phone use for agribusiness by farmers in Southwest Nigeria, published in 2016, has been referenced more than 50 times and remains a landmark study in ICT for development. It explored how rural farmers harnessed mobile technology to improve agribusiness practices, offering insights into the intersection of communication, technology, and economic empowerment. This study positioned him as a leading voice in applied communication research with tangible societal impact.
His more recent publications demonstrate an interdisciplinary reach that extends beyond traditional communication studies. The 2023 article Digital citizenship in Africa has already attracted significant attention, reflecting his engagement with questions of identity, participation, and governance in the digital era. Similarly, his work on the ethical, legal, and social implications of neurobiobanking and stroke genomics research has brought communication scholarship into dialogue with medicine and law, highlighting the importance of informed consent, community engagement, and ethical governance in scientific research.
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Beyond these high-profile studies, Ojebuyi has consistently addressed pressing social issues through communication research. His work on gender bias in media representation of political actors during Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election exposed structural inequalities in political reporting. His studies on parent–child communication about HIV/AIDS and spousal communication on family planning contributed to public health discourse, emphasising the role of interpersonal communication in shaping health outcomes.
Ojebuyi has also made significant contributions to media theory and practice. His multiple works on secondary gatekeeping in radio, agenda-setting, and audience participation have advanced understanding of how Nigerian media organisations interact with their audiences. These studies highlight the dynamic relationship between producers and consumers of news, challenging traditional one-way models of communication.
The temporal spread of his publications illustrates a steady and evolving trajectory. His earliest listed work dates back to 2007, focusing on HIV/AIDS stigma reduction through reading interventions. By the mid-2010s, his scholarship had expanded into political communication, media ethics, and socio-economic development. From 2020 onwards, his research has increasingly engaged with global debates, including fake news governance using AI, youth resilience in the post-COVID era, and migration narratives. This adaptability reflects his responsiveness to contemporary challenges while maintaining a strong grounding in African realities.
His methodological contributions are equally notable. Works such as Mono-Method Research Approach and Scholar–Policy Disengagement and Moving beyond Numerals: Meta-Analysis of Gatekeeping Studies demonstrate his commitment to advancing research design and theoretical application in communication studies. By interrogating methodological choices, he has encouraged Nigerian scholars to adopt more robust and policy-relevant approaches.
The promotion to full professor is not only a recognition of his individual achievements but also a signal of the University of Ibadan’s commitment to nurturing scholarship that bridges theory, practice, and policy. Ojebuyi’s work has consistently engaged with issues of national importance, ranging from political accountability and media ethics to public health and youth resilience, while contributing to global debates on communication, technology, and ethics.
His elevation comes at a time when Nigerian academia is increasingly expected to demonstrate both local relevance and international visibility. Ojebuyi’s portfolio exemplifies this dual commitment. By situating African experiences within broader theoretical frameworks, he has ensured that Nigerian scholarship is not peripheral but central to global conversations in communication research.
The recognition of Dr Babatunde Ojebuyi as a full professor affirms his standing as one of Nigeria’s most versatile communication scholars. It also reinforces the University of Ibadan’s reputation as a hub for innovative and socially engaged research. His trajectory, from early work on HIV/AIDS communication to recent explorations of AI governance and neurobiobanking ethics, illustrates a career defined by intellectual curiosity, methodological rigour, and a sustained commitment to addressing the challenges of African societies.