Engaging Development: Environment and Content of Radio Broadcasting in Nigeria

According to this publication, Nigeria has developed a relatively huge radio broadcasting sector. However, critical observers claim that radio broadcasting has performed below expectations in engaging issues of development. This 72-page paper was commissioned to provide: scientific data which would inform the development of future activities, a picture of the crucial challenges confronting radio broadcasting, and recommendations and impetus for further work to advance the cause of development-oriented radio broadcasting in Nigeria. It argues that the country needs to re-position the sector, in order for it to contribute to development.

The research found that radio broadcasting in Nigeria takes place in an environment that is not conducive to meaningful engagement of development issues: the environment is neoliberal, which predisposes stations to jettison development programmes and pursue more fiscally profitable ones. The authors state that fiscal profit comes from business organisations and that fiscal and several other benefits come from patronising government. Located in urban areas, the stations are also removed from the rural areas where the majority of the population live. This physical separation is reflected in the content as well. In addition, as reflected in the document, the management style is authoritarian in most stations, the philosophy is pro-government, and the equipment is in a terrible state.

Internally, the research found that station employees were more committed to management or owners, rather than listeners, and that management style was considered unfriendly. The majority of respondents complained that their stations were being over-controlled by the management. The majority of listeners also felt that radio was over-controlled by government.

According to the research, development issues are in the minority, and in stations where commercial programmes are common, development programmes are few. Of all development subjects, human rights issues are the most rarely treated. Analysis of the programme schedules of selected stations revealed the presence of a broad spectrum of subjects: agriculture, health, culture, education and literacy, science and technological development, diversity, road safety, environment, security, economic development, human rights, family and relationships, and moral development. However, in spite of this broad spectrum, programmes classified as development-oriented are still in the minority. The authors suggest that the width of development scope covered by radio is one thing; the content of the programmes dealing with the subjects is another. Many of the programmes are lectures and interviews, a few feature discussions, and several have a magazine format. The research found that on many interview programmes, the chosen guests were not qualified to treat the issues being discussed, and many interviews were not properly handled. Moreover, the English language is used more often than indigenous languages in treating development subjects, putting about 75% of the listeners at a disadvantage.

According to the report, proponents and supporters of developmental reporting have advocated that news should transcend mere reporting and include sufficient analysis that should help listeners understand how events affect them. Analysis of 18 news broadcasts found that 64.1% of news from government-owned stations was about government and government officials.

Based on these findings, the report recommends that government "should take its hands off radio" and a truly public service system should be put in place, funded partially by a fraction of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) and the Education Tax Fund (ETF). The second suggestion is that government should stop vacillating over the establishment of community radio, as the study shows that radio stations are alienated from the community and from listeners. Third, development planning and practice in Nigeria should be integrated, and there is a need to ensure that the tasks that radio is encouraging people to perform in its jingles and programmes are feasibly supported by existing infrastructure. The fifth step would be for government to support private stations in order for them to more effectively participate in development communication. Finally, the authors suggest that Nigerian communication schools and colleges review their curricula to include topics on public journalism, also known as civic or citizen journalism. They say that public journalism seeks to put the citizens at the centre of news and reports. According to the authors, if radio is to perform public service and engage development effectively, "we need producers and presenters who are citizen-conscious and citizen-loyal."