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LASU announces Nigeria’s first Professor of Public Relations and Advertising
Lagos State University (LASU) has announced the elevation of Rotimi Williams Olatunji,
PhD, as Professor, Public Relations and Advertising. With this elevation, Professor Olatunji
thus becomes the first to be so pronounced as Professor of PR and Advertising in any
Nigerian University.
According to a release by the LASU’s Centre for Information, Press, and Public Relations
(CIPPR), the University Governing Council, at its 111st Statutory Meeting held on Tuesday 31st
May, 2016, considered and approved the elevation of 25 Associate Professors to the status of full
professors, while 22 staff on Senior Lecturer cadre were promoted to the status of Associate
Professor, across existing Colleges, Faculties, Schools and Departments.
Professor OLATUNJI is currently, Acting Dean, Lagos State University School of
Communication. He received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree (Advertising)
(Communication and Language Arts) (2003); Master of Arts (M.A.) (Print
Journalism)(Communication and Language Arts), (1991) from the University of Ibadan,
Ibadan, Nigeria; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A. First Class Honours) (Archaeology),
from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, Nigeria, in 1989. He also attended Oyo
State College of Education, (now Osun State College of Education), Ila- Orangun, Nigeria
(1979-1982); and St. Kizito Catholic Minor Seminary, Ede, (1973-1978), but rounded up at
St. Charles Grammar School Osogbo, where he sat for and obtained his West African
School Certificate in 1978.
Career Progression
Rotimi was appointed Assistant Lecturer, (2001) Department of Public Relations and
Advertising, School of Communication, Lagos State University; Lecturer II (2004);
promoted as Lecturer I (2008); appointed as Senior Lecturer (2009); Associate Professor
(2011); and promoted Professor, Public Relations and Advertising (2015), although he
was officially pronounced on 31 May 2016 at the 111st Statutory Meeting of the
Governing Council of the Lagos State University.
Currently , Acting Dean LASU School of Communication, Professor Olatunji was a three-
time Acting Head, Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Sub- Dean, School of
Communication, (2004- 2010); ProgrammeCoordinator, LASU External System; Pioneer

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Post-Graduate Programme Coordinator LASUSOC; and had served in various Committees
of Senate of LASU, including, Member, Curriculum Committee of Senate; Member,
Business Committee of Senate; Ad-Hoc Committee Member Investigating conducts of
PhD Law degree Programme of Faculty of Law, LASU; Member, LASU Re-branding
Committee; and member, Quality Assurance Implementation Committee of LASU, where
he also serves as Editor, LASU Quality Assurance Newsletter; Member, Committee of
Provosts, Deans and Directors (COPDD); Appointment and Promotions Committee; and
several committees of Senate. He is pioneer Acting Chairman LASU Radio (95.7 FM)
Implementation Committee; and Member, University Ceremonies Committee (serving as
Convener, Press and Publicity sub-Committee). He won the LASU/Ford Foundation Award
(in Junior category) for the writing of PhD Post-field report: August 2002
Industry Experience
Industry level experience include: Managing Associate, PLANT LIFE Limited,
(environmental consulting) Lagos, in 1993; General Manager, CITI PRESS Limited,
(Publishers), Lagos, and Managing Partner, MULTIFIRM Consulting Limited, (Human
resources and Communication Consulting) (1996-2001). His teaching career began in
1982 at Okrika Grammar School, Okrika, Rivers State (NYSC), before his appointment as
Class Tutor (1983) in the Oyo State Teaching Service, during which time he was posted to
Modakeke High School as a Classroom Teacher.
Community Service
Professor Olatunji served as Consultant to several national and international
organizations including: Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja,
Nigeria; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Information
Centre, Lagos, Nigeria; United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF); Academic Adviser to
Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program, Nigeria; Pathfinder International;
and International Ford Fellowship Program Alumni, Nigeria; Training Consultant to
United State-based Consensus Building Institute on “Training Workshop on Negotiation
and Public Conflict Resolution in the Nigerian Context”, November 5th
to 7th
2007 at
Abuja, Nigeria and, a host of other private sector organizations.
Professor Olatunji had participated in several team researches, including: “Impact
Assessment of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR)/ United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Training Programmes Administered in Nigeria
between 2009 and 2012, carried out by Professor Olusegun Matanmi and Rotimi Olatunji,
PhD submitted in October, 2013”; and “ A study of HIV/AIDS/STDs Among Adolescents in
Osun State Nigeria: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice”, Sponsored by United Nations Fund for
Population Research and Coordinated by Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic

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Research (NISER)/Population Research Fund (PRF), between 1994 and 1996, carried out
by Adesina, D. O. and R. W. Olatunji.
International Conferences
He had participated in several international Conferences in Europe, Asia, America, and
the African continent, including: International Conference on Marketing in an
Interconnected World, Muenster, Germany (2005); International Forum on Media and
Information Literacy (May 12-13, 2010), SIDI Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty of
Arts and Humanities, FES-SAIS, FEZ, Kingdom of Morocco- 2010; Nineteenth Annual World
Business Congress. Theme: Critical Issues in Global Business: Contemporary Concerns and Future
Trends, Konya Turkey (July 21-25, 2010); International Conference on Glocal Communication,
Ankura, Bangalore, India 26th November 2011; International Conference on Research and
Capacity Building, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana in 15-16th September, 2011.; First
International Forum on Media and Information Literacy SIDI Mohammed Ben Abdellah
University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, FES-SAIS, FEZ, Kingdom of Morocco, June 15 to
17, 2011; Barcelona PR Meeting #3, International Conference on Representing PR: Images,
Identities and Innovation, organised by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, the Universitat Pompe
Fabra and the University of Waikato Barcelona, Spain, held on 2nd and 3rd July 2013; “African
Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet)”, Practicum
on Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Communication programs: Making a case for health
communication, Accra, Ghana , June 2 to 4, 2014;
Appointment as External Examiners
Contributions to the wider academic community include: Co-supervision of two Doctor of
Philosophy Theses at Covenant University where two PhD Theses were successfully
supervised; External Examiner to Master of Arts in Communication and Language Arts,
University of Ibadan; Master of Social Works degree, Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology, Ogbomoso; served as External Examiner to TWO PhD oral examinations
(University of Ibadan); External Examiner to TWO PhD oral Examination, Department of
Mass Communication, Benue State University; External Examiner to TWO PhD External
Examinations, Department of Mass Communication, Babcock University, Ilisan. Professor
Olatunji, was also on Sabbatical appointment at Department of Mass Communication,
Kwara State University (2012-2013).
Research Focus/Publications
Professor Olatunji’s research interests are in the areas of: Advertising, Economy and
Society; political advertising; Multinational advertising; health communication; media
and cultural studies; Marketing of Tourism- cultural related products; consumer studies;
public relations; branding; image studies; integrated marketing communication;
magazine publishing. He is author of Advertising, economy and societies in
Africa: The Nigerian perspective (2010), co-author of Soft Sell Magazines in

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Nigeria (2014); edited Dimension of Advertising Theory and Practice in Africa (2014); and
Co-edited (along with Professor Lai Oso and Owen-Ibie, N. (2014)) Journalism and Media
Nigeria: Context, Issues and Practice. Ontario (Canada: Canada University Press). He has
nearly 60 research publications in learned journals and peer reviewed books.
Membership of Learned Societies
He is Fellow, American Academy of Marketing Science; Senior Member, African
Federation of Public Relations Association; Member, International Management
Development Association (IMDA), Hummelstown, P.A, (U.S.A. Based); Member,
International Academy of Business Disciplines (IABD), Beltsville, M.D. (USA); Honorary
Member, Public Relations Society of India (Bangalor Chapter); Senior Member, African
Public Relations Association (APRA); Associate registered practitioner in advertising; Member,
African Council for Communication Education (ACCE); Public Relations Executive,
ACCE(2008-2012); Member, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals
of Nigeria (ACSPN); Member, Nigerian Institute for Training and Development, (NITAD),
among others. Professor Olatunji has served, the Advertising Practitioners’ Council in
various capacities, including: Member, APCON Practitioners’ Development and Training
Committee (2012- 2014); and Member, Editorial Board, APCON Journal of Advertising
Editorial Board Positions
Professor Olatunji was member, Editorial Board, Proceedings of the International Conference
on Media, Culture and Education, held at Faculty of Arts and Humanities, of Moulay Ismail
University, Meknes, Morocco, 23-25 November, 2010, with the collaboration of the UNESCO
Chair Forum and Heritage, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and the Gabinete de
Communicacion Educacion, Spain. He is currently, Editor, Media and Communication
Review (Nigeria). Associate Editor, Journal of Global Marketing (USA); Member,
Editorial Board of: International Journal of Social and Management Sciences,
(IJOSMAS), Norway, (Since 2010); Journal of Communication and Media Research;
Herald ResearchJournal, USA,; International Journal of Broadcasting and Technology,
(Nigeria); Covenant Journal of Communication, (Nigeria); and a host of others. He was
recently appointed, Member, Board of Directors, and Association of Advertising
Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) Advertising Academy.
A Winners’ Satellite Fellowship Zonal Pastor/Coordinator, of the Living Faith World
Outreach (Winners’ Church, Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota Ogun State), Professor
Rotimi Olatunji had served as a Member of the Governing Council of Faith Academy,
Ota (2007-2015). He is happily married and blessed with children and grand -children,
to the glory of God.