Title: |
Response to Radio Advocacy Programmes on Drug Abuse among Youths of Select Niger Delta States of Nigeria. |
Author(s): |
Jesse Okedi, Godwin Bassey Okon, Fred Azubuike Amadi & Dike, Harcourt-Whyte |
Abstract: |
Background: Drug abuse has remained a perennial problem facing the society including the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Several efforts had been made in the past to curtail this trend but has not yielded the desired result. The media and indeed the radio have been at the forefront of charting the course of societal development through quality programming and advocacy for positive change.
Objective: This study investigated the response of Niger Delta Youths to radio advocacy on drug abuse.
Method: Using a qualitative content analysis design and a sample of three participants drawn from the top brass of the radio station from a pool of over 150 staff members. The participants were drawn purposively due to their role in the design and implementation of the programmes contents of the radio. The states under focus were Rivers State, Akwa Ibom and Beyelsa States. These states were chosen because they share geographic boundary with Rivers State where the zonal headquarters of the radio station is situated.
Results: Findings show that radio advocacy programmes were primarily packaged as news items, discussion programmes and sponsored advertisements and that radio advocacy had affected the prevalence of drug abuse positively by influencing the enforcement efforts of security agencies. The study also found that the youths perceived the radio advocacy on drug abuse as educative considering the complexities of their age bracket.
Conclusion: The study concludes that there were radio advocacy programmes on drug abuse in the Niger Delta and the advocacy programmes contribute in the reduction of drug abuse among youths of the Niger Delta through setting of positive agenda of discussion among them, and educating drug users on its effect on their life and the society in particular.
Unique Contribution: The study has contributed in drawing attention to the scourge of drug abuse among young people in the Niger Delta. It is hoped that the findings of this study would be useful to governments and other policymakers in taking positive actions towards fully mitigating this societal vice. The study also adds the growing literature in the area and showcases the importance of radio in shaping societal ideals.
Key Recommendation: The study recommends that radio content creators and programmers could consider varieties of programmes in anti-drug abuse advocacy for greater appeals to audiences. There is also need for a more comprehensive community-based approach that involves every strata of the society from the government, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations to private individuals in order to bring about the needed synergy that would tame drug abuse in the society.
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Keywords: |
Drug abuse, Youths, Response, Radio, Niger Delta
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