PRNigeria has presented the 2018/2019 ‘Best Graduating Student’ of Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Mr. Usman Bello Balarabe, with a cash prize of N50,000 and also a ‘Certificate of Merit.’

Mr. Balarabe, who bagged First Class degree was also offered an ‘Executive Internship Programme’ opportunity by the award-winning PR firm.

The founder of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, who made the presentation at the university’s Faculty of Communication Building, said he was impressed with the academic records of the beneficiary who is an orphan and among very few first class graduates produced by the Department of Mass Communication in its 40 years history.

“We decided to honour and reward an orphan and First-Class Mass Communication Graduate, Usman Bello Balarabe, when we discovered that there was no Prize for the best graduating student in the Department and Faculty of Communication. PRNigeria institutes the ‘Graduating Student Award’ to recognise and celebrate hard work, commitment, passion in scholarship, together with consistent outstanding academic performance among students,” he said.

Shuaib, who is also a BUK alumnus and a past winner of the Sabo Mohammed NIPR President Prize for Best Student in Public Relations in the 90s at the university, said the current President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo, has promised to resuscitate the annual PR Awards for Best Students.

“PRNigeria Award is attached with an offer for an ‘Executive Internship Programme’ for highly motivated, passionate and educated young communicators. It is for students or fresh graduates with sound backgrounds in journalism and Public Relations.

“The internship program will help create opportunities for the successful candidates to sharpen their professional and interpersonal skills, through on-the-job training,” he added.

The Head of Department (HOD) Mass Communication, Dr. Haruna Ismail, commended the founder of PRNigeria for his contribution to scholarship and mentoring of budding communicators in Nigeria.

A newspaper Columnist and Communication scholar in the University, Dr. Bala Muhammad, said PRNigeria’s award “would encourage and motivate other students to excel in their studies and pray for the sustenance of the annual award.”

The award-recipient, Mr. Bello Balarabe, expressed appreciation with PRNigeria for the special honour. He also thanked his lecturers and family members for their sound mentorship and guidance.

Present at the event were Dr. Hajara Umar Sanda, Deputy Dean Student Affairs; Hadiza Ibrahim, Sub-Dean Academic Faculty of Communication; Dr. Umaru Jibrilu Gwandu, Examination Officer Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Danja, Examination Officer Department of Information and Media Studies and Hajia Binta Gambo, a respected Tax Administrator.

PRNigeria is the PR arm of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, the winner of SABRE African Public Relations Awards of African Public Relations Association (APRA) and the Golden World Awards (GWA) of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). (PRNigeria)

•Photo shows, L-R; Usman B Balarabe, First Class Graduate; Yushau Shuaib of PRNigeria; Dr Bala Muhammad, Communication Scholar and Dr Haruna Ismail, Head of Department of Mass Communication at award presentation to Bala.

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