Professor Umaru Pate has been elected as the pioneer President of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB), securing a resounding victory with 231 votes. He defeated his opponent, Mr. Okoduwa Matthew Eigbobor, a former Zonal Director of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), who garnered only 12 votes.
The announcement was made by the SNB electoral committee chairman, Engr. Yomi Bolanrinwa, a former Director General of NBC, at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, following a rigorous electoral process on Thursday.
In addition to Pate’s victory, Ado Sa’idu Warawa emerged as the Vice President for the North West zone of the Society, running unopposed.
Upon being declared the duly elected president of SNB, Professor Pate expressed his gratitude to the members of the Society for entrusting him with the leadership role. He pledged to work diligently to elevate the association and ensure its success.
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Professor Umaru Pate, known as the Kaigamma of Adamawa, is a distinguished academic in the field of Media and Society. He is currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere (FUK) in Gombe State. His appointment as Vice Chancellor in February 2021 followed a notable tenure as the founding Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Bayero University, Kano. He also served as the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the Acting Chair of the Committee of Deans and Directors at Bayero University between 2019 and 2021.
Moreover, Professor Pate has held significant national positions, including the immediate past Vice Chairman of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Advisory Group and as a Member of the National Research and Development Standing Committee. His academic journey began at the University of Maiduguri, where he started as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Mass Communication, eventually rising to the rank of Associate Professor in 2002 and full Professor in 2007.
As the first president of the SNB, Professor Pate’s extensive experience and leadership in media education and administration are expected to set a strong foundation for the Society, which aims to advance the standards and practices of broadcasting in Nigeria.
