An Inductive Evaluation of the Power of Radio Information: A Retrospective Study of the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of the messages that were aired over the radio during the 1967-1970 Nigerian civil war. It further aimed to investigate whether modern radio broadcasts have the potential to be used in the same manner and to the same degree of success as their historical analogues in the service of the cause of sustainable development. Hence, the study employed the inoculation theory and Hugh Rank’s model of persuasion in its theoretical framework. The research was conducted using an inductive methodology, and the interview inventory served as the primary research instrument. The sampling method used is convenient sampling, and the collated information was examined based on central themes and then discussed. The results of the research provide novel information on the function of radio in the broadcast of safety information during the civil war, as well as its use for the mobilisation of military forces at that time. The fact that there is so little academic material about media communication and radio engagement during the civil war in Nigeria presented the current research with a challenge that was empirical in nature. This shortage also played a key part in amplifying the essence of the study, which is aimed at bridging the existing vacuum within the academic discourse. According to the study, listening to radio broadcasts during the Civil War saved the lives of most people. It became clear from the study that radio broadcasts throughout the Civil War provided a deliberate, well-thought-out, and very compelling framework for the distressed population that was designed to defuse rather than escalate tensions. The study further found that the radio is a helpful companion because it can reach many people regardless of where they live; this suggests that the radio could be used to disseminate strategic information that would inspire people to comply with sustainable development goals