Communication and Development in Nigeria: A Discussion

Communication has been integral to Nigeria's development since the amalgamation which brought the country into existence as a corporate entity in 1914. This paper discusses development communication in Nigeria based on the opera tionalisation of the twin concepts of communication and development. It examines trends from the pre-colony, through the colony to the post-colony and highlights the sub-optimal utilisation of development communication based on an inadequate grasp of its potentials or manipulation by participants in the process, especially government which dominates communication and development processes in Nigeria. While there is a growing awareness of an increasing incorporation of development communication principles in various intervention programmes, a fundamental re orientation and de-bureaucratisation of the processes relating to the utilisation of the concept, are critical to its greater relevance to the development of Nigeria.