Assessment of the Nature of Communication Between Kaduna State Government and its Residents in Disseminating Urban Renewal Messages

Abstract

Communication is multifaced; it can be vertical, transactional, two-way or participatory, depending on the actors and the context. It is invaluable to the success of any institution be it family, organizations, socio-economic and political spheres. The success of any state or nation, lies on its ability to communicate its functions and policies to its relevant publics and stakeholders with an avenue for feedback. The nature of communication matters in assessing the efficacy of the communication act between and among the parties involved. It is against this philosophical view this paper explores the nature of communication between the Kaduna State government and its residents in the dissemination of messages on its Urban Renewal Project. Survey Method and In-depth Interview were adopted with a total of 400 copies of questionnaire administered to residents of the State using Multistage Cluster Sampling Technique. The Interview was conducted with Communication experts of the various components of the Urban Renewal Project. The study found the nature of communication between the government and the residents as a two-way traffic with the residents fully aware and engage with the various communication tools adopted by the state in disseminating these messages through various media platforms including radio, social media handles, and face-to-face enlightenment, amongst others. The study recommends the need for Kaduna State government to expand the avenues for participatory communication to enhance citizen’s engagement, which would in turn create more awareness on developmental projects.