Abstract
The study assessed the communication campaign programs of the
federal government’s cassava transformation initiatives as carried out
by the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State.
The survey research method using questionnaire and interview was
used to obtain data from the respondents. The research work was
highly descriptive and inferential in nature. This involved the use of
tables and sample percentages as basic descriptive statistical
technique employed to analyze the raw data which was obtained from
primary sources. The raw data was subsequently subjected to chisquare
test and one sample t-Test as major tool for hypotheses
testing. The alternate hypotheses of the four hypotheses were all
accepted. Findings reveal that, radio, manuals, bulletins, word of
mouth, press releases, newsletters, newspapers, newsmagazines,
special events and television are some of the campaign programs
employed by the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, in
the cassava transformation campaign of the federal government. Other
campaign strategies employed by the institute during the cassava
transformation campaign include: the audience participation model, the
5ps of social marketing.
It was concluded that adequate,
effective/efficient campaign programs, via the right media and methods
of communication, backed up by adequate funding enhance social
change and elicit positive responses from the citizens, especially the
Nigerian farmers toward appreciating the governmental programs. It
was therefore recommended that, in planning any campaign program
by either the public or private organizations, aimed at positive change
or positive response from the citizens, adequate, effective/efficient
campaign programs, such as public relations information, education
and communication programs; advertising; face to face contact;
publicity; etc must be executed, and this should be done via the right
media (print, electronic and created media) and methods (TV
announcements and Jingles, radio announcements and jingles,
posters, fliers, banners, mobile cinemas, mobile announcements,
church announcements, Age-grades, town unions, schools
announcements, women associations, traditional rulers, town criers,
e.t.c.) and ensuring that adequate funds are provided to back-up the
campaign programs, as this is a guaranteed way of achieving the set
goals and objectives of the cassava transformation initiatives of the
federal government.
