Pan-African Journal Database set for launch in honour of late Lai Oso
A new pan-African journal database, Research African Publications is set for its official launch in honour of the late Professor of Communications, Lai Oso, who was reportedly part of the initiative, and was billed to be the Co-Director and the Editorial Board member of the initiative.
Penpushing reports that the platform’s founder, Olasunkanmi Arowolo disclosed this in a statement explaining that the launch of the African journal aggregator portal aims to improve the international visibility of African journals through robust databases and indexing.
“The launch of the website is coming at a time when we lost a legend in the Nigerian academic community in the person of Lai Oso, who was part of the conception of this platform and had been pencilled down to be a co-director and member of the editorial board. Unfortunately, the launch, which is scheduled to hold in mid-August, will be in his memory’, he stated
Penpushing further reports that Arowolo, said the platform was inspired by the lack of access to African works during his studies abroad, and it seeks to address the limited digital availability of African journals, stressing that the platform’s goal is to provide viable digital solutions that bridge the research visibility gap for African journals and scholars.
‘By hosting African journals on our platform and applying rigorous peer-review standards, we aim to help transition these journals from local to international status and impact. We see the platform ultimately becoming an African equivalent of major international journal publishers like SAGE, Taylor & Francis, and Routledge – providing tailored services for the African market’, Arowolo said
Penpushing also reports that the founder emphasised that the platform has a user-friendly interface and cutting-edge technology that allows users to search for journals by categories, disciplines, and year of release.
‘It also features modern journal management systems, allowing editors, authors, and publishers to track submissions, manage reviewer boards and handle their collections efficiently in the cloud’, Arowolo added.
Penpushing reports that it is recalled that the journalism icon died in a car crash along the Benin-Sagamu expressway on 24 June, 2023 while returning from Delta and his remains were committed to mother earth on Friday, July 14, 2023 in his hometown Sagamu of Ogun State
The academic and teacher of journalism served as the dean of Lagos State University (LASU) School of Communication and now the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies between 2011 and 2015, and also served as President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).
Penpushing further reports that the late Oso attended the University of Lagos for his BSc in Mass Communication, and obtained a Master’s in International Relations at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
The deceased who exited the world in a glorious manner also bagged his PhD from Leicester University, United Kingdom, and was a former Dean of Students Affairs at Caleb University – a private university located in the Imota area of Lagos State.
Penpushing reports that he was a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, African Council of Communication Education, International Association for Communication Research, and Lagos Communication Forum.
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