THE DYNAMICS OF COMMUNICATION IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. THE CASE OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN STATES OF NIGERIA (Published)
The poor and deplorable condition of Agricultural development in the South Eastern Nigeria has become a regional concern, especially with the notion that agriculture is an occupation for the poor, illiterate and the old. The work investigated the role of the media in agricultural development as well as the level of audience awareness of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) agricultural development programme as strategies and effective tools for dissemination of agricultural development programme in the South Eastern Nigeria. Methodologically, the work adopted a survey method of data collection to elicit information needed. The findings revealed that most rural agriculturists do not have access to NTA stations and programmes. This is principally due to poverty and lack of infrastructural development. The subsistent farmers are found at the lowest rung of development, and so were cut off from modern information that can better their lots. The work stressed the need for upgrading the NTA to be responsive and grassroots oriented by using local content features like language, time, message and scene to transmit agricultural development programmes. The work is a clarion call on the government to be proactive in the development of infrastructural facilities like electricity in the villages, good road networks, as the establishment of weekend viewing centres for watching agricultural development news, commentaries and programmes transmitted in the form of drama and discussion. This will act as a panacea for development of agriculture at the grassroots
Keywords: Agricultural Development, Nigeria, South-Eastern States, communication