ACCE is the African Council for Communication Education. It is the biggest association and forum for media professionals, educators in journalism and cultural studies and associated disciplines in Africa. It has branches in many countries on the continent. The headquarters is in Nairobi, Kenya.
ACCE was founded in 1974 by a group of African communication experts as a non-profit and non-governmental organization concerned with communication’s role in national development. ACCE, by the mid 90s, had grown into a formidable body of communication scholars in Africa and those in Diaspora. Every year, the body brings together in Africa more than 400 academics, researchers, and media practitioners from at least 80 institutions all over the world to discuss issues of communication education and training; information technology; traditional communication resources; communication and the environment; culture, gender, democracy; research and more issues around humanity. The regularly held seminars, workshops, and conferences are among the platforms for its operations across Africa.
In line with its objectives and activities, the African Council for Communication Education has, in the past, provided advisory services and consultations to many African governments, institutions and organizations in the formulation of national communication policies and strategies especially in the area of using communication for development purposes as well as involved in the development of communication curriculum and regular reviews of the same.
Membership of ACCE is open to all media scholars and academics in higher institutions of learning. Media practitioners who are desirous of promoting the cause of communication education in Africa are also invited to join. In essence, ACCE brings together all stakeholders in the media industry together. This includes students in the discipline, media educators, and media practitioners. The practitioners of all the adjuncts of mass communication like Advertising and Public Relations are also welcome to join as members.
Membership of the Association confers many benefits to the individual and his/her affiliate institutions. Some of the benefits include:
1. It is perhaps the best academic forum for media practitioners to keep abreast of the latest development in their field.
2. It offers a powerful networking platform for academics and professionals in media and journalism education and scholarship.
3. It is a platform for academic discourse and stimulation of personal research quests and interests.
4. ACCE publications are outlets for members to share their research works as well as make contribution to the African academic community.
5. Besides that, ACCE also distributes other relevant journals to its members.
6. ACCE also offers the platform for individuals to provide solutions to the communication problems facing individual countries and the continent as a whole.
7. ACCE connects members to other organizations and bodies relevant to the individual needs through its rich litserv.
8. Members receive FREE copies of ACCE publications annually.
9. Membership of ACCE confers on the member professional status and recognition.
For fully paid institutions that are regarded as Institutional members, they also enjoy the following benefits:
1. A Professional recognition of the Department and University as a model communication training institution.
2. It provides the platform for Universities to show its world class potentials and showcase itself to the world.
3. Better opportunity for the staff of the Department to hold Executive positions in the Council.
4. An opportunity for the University and member Department to host ACCE academic conferences and Annual General Meeting. Hosting such conferences increases the tourist potential of the institution, the visibility and overall acceptance of the institution as a core media training institution in Nigeria. Non ACCE institutions are not permitted to organize or host ACCE conferences or Annual General Meetings.
5. Sending of complimentary copies of journals and other publications of the associations to the University via the Department.
6. Enhance the status of faculty members who are already individual members of the associations.