Appraisal of Nigeria’s Benue-South indigenous communication modes,systems and application for sustainable development

Abstract

This paper investigated how indigenous communication has been used to provide rural development activities on having access to information, knowledge needed to improve lives, respond to opportunities and challenges of social, economic, cultural, political and technological changes in Benue-South of North-Central Nigeria. The study sought to how indigenous communication modes and systems can be used to bring development to rural dwellers and the challenges involved. Diffusion of Innovation, Trado-Modern Communication Model and Strategic Entrepreneurship Model were used as theoretical frameworks. The paper adopted a qualitative research method making use of extensive literature review of articles, journals, periodicals and indigenous communication as well as Participant Observation with research assistants to elicit data of questionnaire items of four research questions from 627 purposively sampled respondents. The findings revealed that usage of the communication needs to be more empowered through active use in the speech communities to ensure development in areas of access to information on healthcare, agriculture, economy technology and politics. Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations have to use indigenous communication to guide the people on development programmes. The study recommends an all-consuming approach to channel development programmes in the rural areas through artificial intelligence in the broadcast and print media in interface with folk media as well as online journalism using indigenous language of the speech communities for physical and non-physical developments of the communities