MDGs in Nigeria, communication and the media. (1st June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Udoakah, Nkereuwem; Negrine, Ralph
• Is Part Of: Journal of African media studies. Volume 6:Number 2(2014)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 156
• Publication Date: 2014-06-01
• Subjects: Mass media -- Africa -- Periodicals; Communication -- Africa -- Periodicals; Africa -- Social life and customs -- Periodicals; 302.23096
• DOI: 10.1386/jams.6.2.139_1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-199X

Abstract

This article takes a look at the African perspective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and examines Nigeria's communication strategy for its implementation. Against the backdrop of endemic corruption in Nigeria and her news commercialization policy, the article examines the extent to which the media have been mobilized or motivated to be partners in the MDGs campaign. Also, it tries to bring to the fore how the citizens have been carried along in the campaign and what roles (if any) they have been made to play.Sources used for the data for this article include public communication and media advocacy literature, interviews with key informants with knowledge about Nigeria's MDGs and a survey of Nigerian editors. Some information also came from the Conference on MDGs campaign organized at the University of Uyo in November 2011.It was found that, because government media dominate the Nigerian media environment, a paternalistic relationship seems to be the expectation of the MDGs' implementers in their dealings with the media. That is, the MDGs' implementers tend to expect the media to go after them rather than them looking for the media. Besides, the MDGs' implementers expect the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency to handle the publicity of the programmes for them. The result is that the MDGs' campaign roadmap, which promised a behavioural change communication, has not been implemented and the attempt at the campaign lacks design and strategies. Neither are new media used for the campaign nor are the editors and journalists impressed by the awareness level about MDGs among Nigerians.