THE IMPEDIMENTS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PLANNING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA

Solomon S. Ntukekpo

Department of Communication and Media Studies

Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo

Email: ntukekpo@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

In the practice of development communication today, there is awareness that careful planning is all-important if objectives are to be attained. Furthermore, there are a realization that extant factors in the environment of development communication action are able to facilitates or frustrate the attainment of planning objective. B while the available literature provides informed guidance to the communication planner on the processes of planning, it is critically silent on the extant factors the communication environment which may negate or boost planning. This paper attempts to fill the gap. The paper analyses the relevant extant factors in the environment of development communication action into “active” and “passive” groups, showing how they both affect planning. Specifically, the paper focuses on the “active” (i.e. policy) group of factors and identifies five major ones extant in the rural sector. The values these policy factors are presented and their implications for communication planning discussed.

Keywords: Communication, Media Study, Planning, active and passive