Following the massive devastation of the World War II period, there was the urgent need for development. The founding of the United Nations (UN) was expected to fast track this by stimulating relations among sovereign states, especially the North Atlantic Nations and the developing nations, including the new states emerging out of a colonial past.
During the cold war period the superpowers – the United States and the former Soviet Union – tried to expand their own interests to the developing countries. In fact, the USA was defining development and social change as the replica of its own political-economic system and opening the way for the transnational corporations. At the same time, the developing countries – Nigeria inclusive – saw the ‘welfare state’ model of the North Atlantic Nations as the ultimate goal of development.
These nations were attracted by the new technology transfer and the model of a centralised state with careful economic planning and centrally directed development bureaucracies for agriculture, education and health as the “most effective strategies” to catch up with those industrialised countries.
The field of communication was not left out as there was a paradigm shift leading to different theories, one of which is the evolution of communication for development (C4D) which mirrored broader shifts in theories and models of economic and social development. The basic assumption is that there are no countries or communities that function completely autonomously and that are completely self-sufficient, nor are there any nations whose development is exclusively determined by external factors. Every society is dependent in one way or another, both in form and in degree.
Consequently, communication initiatives adopted a diffusion approach, which uses communication to carry out a transfer of information. This includes large-scale media campaigns, social marketing, dissemination of printed materials, ‘education-entertainment’ and other forms of one-way transmission of information from the sender to the receiver.
With time, proponents of diffusion theory recognised the limitations of mass media – the way it was being run – in promoting sustained behavioural change. In line with new thinking, it incorporated interpersonal communication: face-to-face communication that can either be one-on-one or in small groups. The objectives are to share information, respond to questions, and motivate specific behavioural practices. The belief is that while mass media allows for the learning of new ideas, interpersonal networks encourage the shift from knowledge to continued practice.
Communication for development has thus come to be seen as a way to amplify voice, facilitate meaningful participation, and foster social change. The 2006 World Congress on C4D defined it as “a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods. It is also about seeking change at different levels including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating and learning for sustained and meaningful change.” Such two-way, horizontal approaches to communication include public hearings, debates, deliberations and stakeholder consultations, participatory radio and video, community-based theatre and story-telling, and web forums.
Diffusion and participatory approaches have been increasingly integrated or adopted in parallel in C4D initiatives. Such combinations allow for agencies to reach broad audiences through large scale campaigns, while promoting local community development, empowerment and ownership through participation.
While the west had known this for long, we only started imbibing them about two decades ago with the establishment of National Orientation Agency (NOA), a parastatal in the federal Ministry of Information and Culture. If an opinion poll is conducted today, I believe most Nigerians would be shocked that an agency like NOA still exists; one can practically conclude that it is “irrelevant” because of its non-impact and the way it has been run in the past.
What is needed in a new dispensation that I’m advocating is for fresh sets of professionals with vast knowledge of integrated marketing communication – who know what strategic communication is all about – to be brought in to assist this government deliver on its promises to Nigerians. But this cannot be done on the surface; it entails a lot of research to ensure Nigerians are on board all the time.
So, why am I advocating a paradigm shift? I will explain with my next article, but first let me elaborate the objectives of the NOA which will form the basis of my submission. As Nigerians living in Nigeria, we would be able to discern whether the agency has succeeded in any of the objectives that would be listed.
The NOA was established by Decree 100 of August 23, 1993. The Decree merged three significant organs of government, namely: The Public Enlightenment (PE), War Against Indiscipline (WAI), and National Orientation Movement (NOM) Divisions of the then Federal Ministry of Information and Culture with the Directorate for Social Mobilisation, Self-Reliance and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).
The rationale for the merger was to harmonise and consolidate efforts and resources of the government in the fields of public enlightenment, social mobilisation and value re-orientation. The main objectives of the agency are : to ensure that government programmes and policies are better understood by the public; mobilise favourable public opinion for such programmes and policies; encourage informal education through public enlightenment activities and publications.
Others include establishing feedback channels to government on all aspects of national life; establish appropriate national framework for educating, orientating and indoctrinating Nigerians towards attitudes, values and culture which project individual’s national pride and positive national image for Nigeria; awaken the consciousness of Nigerians to their responsibilities to the promotion of national unity, citizens commitment to their human rights to build a free, just and progressive society; develop among Nigerians of all ages and sex, social and cultural values and awareness which will inculcate the spirit of patriotism, nationalism, self-discipline and self-reliance.
The final set of objectives include encouraging the people to actively and freely participate in discussions and decisions on matters affecting their general welfare; promote new sets of attitudes and culture for the attainment of the goals and objectives of a united Nigeria State; ensure and uphold leadership by example; foster respect for constituted authority; and instill in the citizens a sense of loyalty to the fatherland.
I doubt if there’s anyone out there who would disagree that these are not a fantastic set of objectives. The question to ask is why have they not been achieved? Why didn’t we make progress and why were Nigerians not better informed about the workings of government? The simple answer is professional incapacity.
The United Nations (UN) realises the critical importance of capacity this which is why it employs the services of key and knowledgeable professionals to manage its interaction with people of diverse cultures and nationalities. Managing information is fundamental toward progress because it a delicate balance between progress and anarchy; It is not “job for the boys.” One of the major reasons for the Rwanda genocide was the poor management of information.
It is amazing that when the world is moving forward, we are either static or moving backward. I see this happening daily in the way the activities of this government are being communicated; noble objectives but poor communication, all because of dearth of capacity and strategy.
While the world has imbibed “development communication” – the sharing of knowledge aimed at reaching a consensus for action that takes into account the interests, needs and capacities of all concerned – we are still stuck in the past thinking that once something appears in the newspapers, radio or television it ends there. It does not without tracking mechanisms!
This form of communication is a social process and should not be left in the hands of unqualified civil servants to handle because communication media are important tools in achieving progress. Beyond this, a well trained professional knows the importance of interpersonal communication which is the hallmark of development communication.
Since it thrives on feedbacks, it is anchored on examining the relevance of message content, conducting more comparative research, policy research, institutional analysis of development agency coordination and the workings of government. This is often followed by the need to research and develop indigenous models of communication and development through participatory research. In essence, getting the people involved.
