Trado-Modern Media Mix for Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria

Ebenezer Soola Herbert Batta Chinenye Nwabueze

Communication and Africa's Development Crisis Essays in Honour of Professor Des Wilson

Varlaa Dr. M u l l a r

Ebenezer Soola Herbert Batta Chinenye Nwabueze

C o m m u n i c a t i o n and Africa's D e v e l o p m e n t Crisis E s s a y s in H o n o u r o f P r o f e s s o r D e s W i l s o n

VDM Verlag Dr. Miiller

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Contents

Dedication Acknowledgements Preface Contents About the Contributors

i ii iii iv vi

Introduction: Bom To Learn, Teach, and Serve Herbert E. Batta, Ph. D

1

PART I: COMMUNICATION, T R A D O / M O D E R N M E D I A S Y N E R G Y AND RURAL/NATIONAL D E V E L O P M E N T

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Chapter One: Communicating Africa's Development Crisis and the Solutions in Rural Communities. Herbert E. Batta. Ph. D.

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Chapter Two: Beyond Tradition: Harnessing Folk-Driven Communication Channels for Folk-Oriented Rural Development. Aniefiok Udoudo, Ph. D & Afusah Oy ekemeagbegha

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Chapter Three: Trado/Modern Media Mix for Sustainable Rural Dev elopment in Nigeria. Godwin Okon

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Chapter Four: Enhancing Community Development through Intermodal Communication Systems. Charles Obot, Ph. D.

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PART II: ADVERTISING, PUBLIC RELATIONS (CSR) AND DEVELOPMENT Chapter Five: A Tetradic Discourse of Multi Modal Development Challenges of Advertising Practice in Nigeria. Idorenyin Akpan, Ph. D.

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Chapter Six: Corporate Social Responsibility: A Catalvst for Achieving MDGs in Nigeria. ' Beatrice Adeyinka Laninhun, Ph. D

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Chapter Seven: Gender Portrayals in Advertising: Implications for Nigeria's Development. Rotimi Williams Olatunji, Ph. D & Omobukola Adejoke Ayodele

iv

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Communication and Africa's Dev elopment Crisis

PART III: COMUNICATION S T R A T E G I E S AND HEALTH/AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Chapter Eight: New Communication Technologies: The Option for Health-Related Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. Mbuk Mboho. Ph. D. Nevelyn Udonsoro & Margaret Mboho

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Chapter Nine: Native Media, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Nigeria. Chinenye Nwabueze, Ph. D

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Chapter Ten: Communication and Rural Agricultural Development in Nigeria. Kaior Samuel A kpede...

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PART IV: COMMUNICATION AND A F R I C A ' S CULTURAL CRISIS Chapter Eleven: Nollywood and Nigeria's Indigenous Cultural Values: The Developmental Imperatives. Nnamdi Tobechukwu Ekeanyamvu, Ph. D

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Chapter Twelve: Kannywoodand Value Reorientation: Targeting the Cultural Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sandra Ladi A damn

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Chapter Thirteen: The Traditional Institutions, Communication and Development in North-Eastern Nigeria. Danjwna Gambo, Ph. D & Musa Usman

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Chapter Fourteen: Appraising the Effect of Information Overload on Television Audience in Nigeria. Dike lbemesi and Allen Adum

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Index

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Communication and Africa's Development Crisis

About the Contributors Ebenezer Oludayo Soola, Ph. D is an Associate Professor of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan. A seasoned academic, researcher, teacher and mentor, Dr Soola specialises in Development Communication, Business and Organisational Communication and Communicative Language Teaching and has published extensively in reputable national and international academic journals. A member of several academic and professional associations, Dr Soola is the immediate past National Coordinator of African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria Chapter. Mbuk Mboho, Ph. D is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. Idorenyin Akpan, Ph. D is an Associate Professor of Communications and Multimedia Designs. American University of Nigeria, Yola. Adamawa State. Nigeria. Danjuma Gambo, Ph. D is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication. University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. He is also the Deputy National Coordinator, African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria. Herbert Batta, Ph. D is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. He is also the Treasure of African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria. Rotimi Williams Olatunji, Ph. D is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State University, Nigeria. He is also the National Public Relations Executive, African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria. Nnamdi Tobechukwu Ekeanyanwu, Ph. D is the Head, Department of Mass Communication. Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Beatrice Adeyinka Laninhun, Ph. D is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Chinenye Nwabueze, Ph. D is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Anambra State University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria. He is the Deputy National Coordinating Secretary, African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Nigeria. God* in Okon, Ph. D is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. Kaior Samuel Akpede is the Head, Depanment of Mass Communication, Nasarawa State University. Keffi, Nasarawa State.

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Communication and Africa's Development Crisis

Omobukola Adcjoke Ayodele is a lecturcr in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State University, Nigeria. Sandra Ladi Adamu is a lecturcr in the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Dike Ibemesi is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication. Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Awka. Aniefiok L'doudo, Ph. D is a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Charles Obot, Ph. D. is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. Oyekemeagbegha Musah is a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Ncvelyn Udousoro is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. Margaret Mboho, Ph. D is a lecturer in the Department of Health, Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. Allen Adum is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Musa L'sman lectures in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maidugury.

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Chapter three Trado-iModern iMedia Mix for Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria Godwin Okon

The Overview There is a growing concern in Africa over the observed disconnection between development programmes and their expected outcome. In Nigeria for instance, the various programmes put in place by successive governments seem to have merely pushed people farther into poverty rather than produce the desired results. These failed programmes have no doubt accentuated the poor standard of living of majority Nigerians especially rural dwellers. It has been hypothesized however, that for the country to achieve the dream of ranking among the top 20 economies in the world by 2020. rural poverty must be addressed. Many definitions of change and development paradigms acknowledge the instrumentality and ccntrality of communications media in the development process. This is due to the ability of the communications media to exert socializing influences. The communications media in this regard serve as vehicles through which development is conveyed to the people. Development, in this context, refers to attitudinal conditioning that leaves the individual favourably disposed to change. In the change process, two things abound - awareness of the development and identification with the development. It is important to note also that the social framework of a given society governs media functionalization. This is manifested by the fact that societies differ in their adoption and use of the media. Descriptively, the deployment of media content should however by guided by the basic needs of a given society bearing in mind the fact that the priority of needs differs according to the people's socio-cultural conditions. Though a significant correlation between the media of communication and the social milieu is incontrovertible, the recurring inability of development programmes to target specific audiences with specific messages will always result in government's heavy spending on rural development projects that least satisfy the people's needs. In corroboration, therefore, Bage (2001) notes that the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has over the past 15 years invested more than USD 100 million in rural development projects aimed at eradicating rural poverty in Nigeria. More than 50% of the rural population docs not have access to potable water with 10% of the population grossly undernourished. The problems are further compounded by the fact that more than five percent of the rural population is affected by the HIV/AIDS scourge. Currently, the incidence of poverty is 58% in female headed households; more than double the level of 27% recorded in 1980 (p. 1). The underlying imputation is that for development to be tnily enduring, the

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Communication and Africa's Dexrlopment Crisis

Nigerian rural populace must be reached in order for the country- to move forward on the development index. This is the core of this chapter. The Problem and Its Setting Nigeria is a country blessed with rich human, material and mineral resources but in spite of all these, poverty is widespread in the country with well over 70% of the population classified as poor (IFAD Report, 2010). The geo-political clime of the country' is marked by urban and rural settings with a greater portion of the populace residing in the rural areas where services and basic infrastructure are limited. The average rural dweller struggles to make a living but often goes short of food. Studies show that the productivity of the rural population is also hindered by ill health, particularly HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria occasioned by under nourishment. Rural infrastructure in Nigeria has long been neglected. Government's investments in health, education and water supply have been focused largely on the cities. Consequently, the rural population has extremely limited access to infrastructural services and about half of the rural populace lack access to safe drinking water. Descriptively, the lack of good roads in the rural areas has grossly impeded the communication and marketing of agricultural produce and the selling of such produce at reasonable prices. There is also a complete lack of access to new farming techniques and equipment which adversely affects yield. According to UN (2010) report, Nigeria's rural population has about 36% living below national poverty line with a high prevalence of under weight children. Describing the Nigerian rural populace, Ampitan (1987, p.4) remarks that "inability to read and write, scattered settlements, undernourishment are common features." Gupta (1986. p.8) found that the "Nigerian rural populace represents the bulk of victims of inaccessibility to urban amenities such as good roads, pipe bome water, electricity, health facilities and good shelter." Okoronkwo (2009, p.l) has also noted that the "neglect of rural population has increased poverty in oil rich Nigeria, which has become the 20 4 poorest country in the world." In a document entitled "Enabling the Rural Poor to Overcome Poverty in Nigeria", the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says Nigeria is now considered one of the 20th poorest countries in the world. The report further notes that more than 70% of the population of Nigeria is classified as poor with 35 % living in absolute poverty. A 2006 Core Welfare Indicator Questionnaire survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics found that 67% of Nigerian rural population was poor compared to 58% in urban areas. IFAD Identifies factors such as neglect, disease and non involvement in decision making as being responsible for the poverty situation. The report further notes that the rural poor have little or no voice in many decisions affecting their livelihood, meaning that they rarely make an input in policy issues and investment decisions that affect them. As endemic as poverty appears, it has not been without attempts to tacklc it as various programmes and institutes were created in the past to address the scourge. These include "Operation Feed the Nation", "Green Revolution," "Better Life for Rural Women," "Family Support Programme "and "The family Economic Advancement Programme". These programmes achieved very little in combating poverty and food insecurity in the country. Besides the programmes, institutions created to tackle the poverty situation include the "Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative Bank" which was later merged with the "Peoples Bank" to become the "Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank". The list also includes the "Directorate for Food Roads and Rural Infrastructure," "National Directorate

Trado-Modern Media Mix

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of Employment" and more recently the "National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP)" and the "Universal Basic Education Scheme". Analysts argue that with the increasing poverty level in the country, it is doubtful if the various intervention measures of NAPEP including the Youth Employment Scheme, Rural Infrastructural Scheme, Social Welfare Service Scheme and the National Resource Conservation Scheme have adequately addressed abject poverty among the niral populace. Drawing from the foregoing, the planning and implementation of development programmes in Nigeria seem to fall within the trend of a vicious circle that does not allow for dividends to accrue from investments. This calls for the review of on-going programme structures as well as their corresponding implementation models with a view to finding out gaps and ways of addressing those gaps. Notions of Change and Development Paradigms The inelasticity of development indicators in Nigeria is a global concern. Development theorists have conceptualized development from various perspectives such as social change, modernization, progress and alternations in life styles. The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), in their focus on development programmes, recently gave credence to the "Combating Poverty and Inequality' model. This model drawing from its crucibles seems to explain why people are poor and why inequalities exist as well as what can be done to address these inequalities. The model explores the causes, dynamics and persistence of poverty and lays out a range of institutional measures that countries can adopt to alleviate poverty. It is structured around three main issues which are perceived as critical elements of a sustainable and inclusive development strategy. These issues are as follows: (i) Patterns of growth and structural change that generate and sustain jobs that are adequately remunerated and accessiblc to all regardless of income, class, gender, ethnicity or location. (ii) Comprehensive social policies that are grounded in universal rights that are supportive of structural change, social cohesion and democratic policies. (iii) Protection of civil rights, activism and political arrangements that ensure governments arc responsive to the needs of citizens and the poor have influence in how policies are made. According to Morris (2006, p.8) the "field of communication for change is dominated by two conceptual models- diffusion and participation. These models have distinct theoretical roots and differing emphasis in terms of programme designs and goals." Programmes targeted at rural development in Nigeria have always been such that rural dwellers are faced with development projects that foster one-way information flow from the government and its agencies to the rural areas. The communication models adopted for development have been found to be based on the transmission model of communication in which information is envisioned as a thing external to people and communication is the movement of that information from the source(govemment) to the audience (rural populace). Deductively, on going programmes have been found not to be participatory in approach but emphasizing

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Communication and Africa s Development Crisis

dissemination of information via the production of IEC materials. The structuring of these programmes tends to fall within the frame of what scholars refer to as 4vthe early models". In this regard, Mefalopulos (2009, p.27) notes that "early models of strategic communication negated participatory elements. The assumption was that the power of communication to enhance development was in the correct crafting of the content and in the adequate targeting of audiences." Similarly. Narula (2006, p. 112) notes that "sense making is based on a constructing model of communication in w hich information is conceptualized not as external to people but a result of their observing and communicating activity. Communication is a constructing process and the audience is not the target of messages but active participants in creating information." Adopting participatory models of change is key to sustainable development in Nigeria. In developing participatory communication strategies, scholars have noted that media specific concerns should revolve around the following issues: a. Types of media - from folk, community and mass media to the new media of internet and satellite communication. b. Levels of media - local and community based media to national and transnational media. c. Nature of media - electronic media, one way or interactive, face to face communication. d. Institutional characteristics of media - from public to private, national to community owned and independent to government controlled. Narula (2006, p. 126) in his analysis further noted that the last six decades of research has rev ealed that the role of communication in development is significant and that it changes with the change in development models." Using this index as a guide, the question that naturally arises is; does the existing media environment in Nigeria stimulate dialogue and empowerment? Nevertheless, the media environment conducive for sustainable development should be such that opportunities are provided for people and groups to be directly involved in the development and management of development programmes. Obviously, new conceptual and practical demands on development programmes in Nigeria suggest re-engineering and re-invention. The center of attention therefore is the empowerment of citizens by their active involvement in the identification of problems, development of solutions and the implementation of strategies. This emerging approach has been described by Mefalopulos (2009) as "dialogic and horizontal" and has been condensed into the IECM (Information, Education, Communication and Mobilization) model. For development to be tnily enduring, the communications media must create an environment that allows for integration and recognition of cultural v alues. The IECM model is an adaptation from the IEC model and represents an acronym for information, education, communication within cultural matrix and motivation for participation in development. The underlying factor here is the cultural matrix which allows for the expression of cultural values within the communication context. Cultural matrix allows for communication modes that align with the people's values and aspirations thus heightening

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interest and participation by the people. The relevance of indigenous modes of communication is subsumed in the foregoing. Trado-Modern Message Delivery Systems Trado-modem media system when viewed from a continuum can best fall within the framework of Ferdinand Tonnies* "Gemeinschafr and "Gessellschaft" typology. "Gemeinschaft" in Tonnies' conception epitomizes traditional/folk delivery system that serves homogenizing roles while "Gessellschaft" represents modem/technology based delivery system that portends modernizing roles. According to Baran and Davis (2000, p.56), "in Gemeinschaft delivery systems, people arc bound together by strong ties of folk, tradition, family, rigid social roles and strong social institutions while in Gessellschaft delivery systems, people are bound together by relatively weak social institutions based upon rational decisions rather than tradition." Both delivery systems are no doubt without their demerits and require a systematic analysis. The mass media are a permanent feature of modem culture. Taxonomy of the modem media delivery system reveals the following: Print Media - The print media include newspapers, magazines, brochures, newsletters, books, pamphlets and even leaflets. Electronic Media - These forms include television, radio, cinema etc New Media - The internet has opened up several new opportunities for mass communication which include email, blogging, podcasts, twiners, skype etc. The modern delivery system plays the following roles: i. Shaping public opinion through agenda setting function ii. Providing entertainment through uses and gratifications as espoused in infotainment iii. Disseminating information through surveillance function iv. Linking policy makers with opinion leaders v. Delivering social mobilization through advocacy Immediacy is one of the greatest advantages of the modem media, especially the broadcast media, since they allow s for on-the-spot account of the days intelligence. The speed of the modem media could be helpful in times of emergencies when they can be used in reporting stories that require immediate attention. The modem media have indeed reduced the world to a "global village" according to Marshall McLuhan. They also keep the society up to date and fresh through news reports which enable individuals to react knowiedgeably and intelligently to their environment. Issues like the strengths and w eaknesses of the economy, demographic issues, the various problems facing a nation, achievements of a nation in different sections are all issues the modem media interprctc and convcy to the audience. The criticism often leveled against this delivery system is its tendency to import into the society, through its modernizing influences, both harmful and harmless values. More so it has been opined by scholars that there is a high deal of misconstruction of social reality emanating from modern media reports which sometimes creates unnecessary confusion and extreme feelings among the people.

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Communication and Africa s Development Crisis

In nations where there are many tribes, languages and religion, the modem media sometimes encounter challenges in affecting the sensibilities of the people beyond news reports. Such is the case with the modem delivery system in Nigeria. Traditional delivery system refers to a summation of all the traditional modes of transmitting information, ideas and thought. Tradition as used in this context is a derivative from the belief system, opinion, action, culture and customs that are native and historical to a given society. Nwanne (2006, p. 12) notes that "prior to the arrival of the colonialists, there had been an organized communication system which many scholars now refer to as "African traditional communication." According to Bakvvuye (1990), traditional media are those communication systems invented and used by our fore fathers to disseminate information within the villages. As McBride et. al (1980, p.82) put it, "the traditional delivery system tends to predominate the rural areas." Ugboajah (1985) classified traditional media forms into dance, drama, music, songs, symbols and social exchanges. This invariably means that traditional communication can occur at the market square, play ground, royal courts etc. According to Ekwelie and Okonkvvor (1983, p.40). The total traditional African theatre is a communion of vibrations, a sharing of ideas and emotions, a cumulative force, a celebration of life through the dramatic idioms and song, dance, speech, music magic, masquerade, story telling and ceremony with didactic moves. Akpabio (2003) identifies three main principles in the various definitions of the traditional communication system. First, that traditional communication is a part and parcel of the way of life of a people. Second, it utilizes symbolisms from the community which readily connects with the people and third, the values of the community as well as age-long institutions come into play in the communication process. Ugboajah (1985) classified the traditional delivery system into one form - folk media or what is commonly referred to as ora-media. A more elaborate classification was made by Wilson (1988). His classifications include: i. Instrumental modes - idiophones, aerophones, membranophones ii. Demonstrative modes - music, drama, etc. iii. Iconographic modes - objects iv. Visual modes - colour, etc. v. Institutional modes - chieftaincy, marriage, groups etc vi. Extramundane - metaphysical interface. A further attempt was made by Gabriel (1995) to classify traditional media along the line of their forms, channels, content, hardware and software. Describing further, Gabriel (1995) pointed out that there are those traditional forms that arc:i. Predominantly oral ii. Predominantly theatrical iii. Predominantly symbolic. Wilson (1988) also noted the features of the traditional media system as:i. authoritative ii. definitive iii integrative

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iv. ubiquitous v. low cost vi. time honoured vii. devoid of complex technology The traditional media perform the following functions: i. They facilitate grass roots mobilization by gravitating the people at the grass roots towards community development and national consciousness. ii. They serve as sources of entertainment through arts and cultural festivals, musical shows, dramatic performance, masquerade groups etc. iii. They provide platforms for the propagation of political, cultural, health and other ideals thus leading towards social identification and self actualization. iv. They engender intercultural communication understanding thereby reducing culture shock. v. They give expression to cultural and other activities of the different parts of the society. The Discourse Extensive literature point to the indispensability of traditional media in bringing development programmes to bear on the rural populace. McBride et al (1980, p.81), write that "even where modem media have penetrated isolated areas, the older forms still maintain validity particularly when used to influence attitudes, instigate action and promote change." They further noted that "practitioners of the traditional delivery system use a subtle form of persuasion by presenting the required messages in locally popular artistic forms which can not be rivaled by any other means of communication. Etukudo (1989) sees the town crier as an important link between the opinion leaders and the mass of the rural populace while also believing that the town crier will continue to play a prominent role in the rural areas both as a communicator and as a medium. In corroboration, Nwodu and Fab-Ukozort2003, p.23) posit that "the traditional media are veritable tools for disseminating information about social development programmes. The emergent sophistication and wide use of the mass media have not taken and may never take the place of the traditional media in the development process." Scholars have also noted that where the benefits of change are hard to demonstrate, traditional delivery systems can be effective in dispelling the superstitions, archaic perceptions and unscientific attitudes that people have inherited as part of tradition w hich arc difficult to modify. Akpabio (2003, p.77) elucidated this view by pointing out that "there is a prevalence of the use of proverbs in that many of the rules of society are conveniently expressed in proverbs which span almost every human endeavour while expressing timetested truths." Unfortunately, policy makers and development programme planners have failed to acknowledge the fact that the traditional delivery system which tend to predominate the rural areas are still waxing strong in influence, persuasion and inclination thus making development programmes adopt the unproductive " top-down" structure with demonstrable unsustainability to show for it. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in its review of rural development noted with concern that even though some progress had been reported, disappointment is widely expressed at the slow progress of moving towards sustainable rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Developing countries have however been urged by the CSD in Agenda 21 to attach high priority to implementing programmes targeted at halving the

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Communication and Africa i Development Crisis

number of undernourished people in the world by 2015. This goal is being reinforced by the Millennium Declaration adopted by Heads of State and Government in 2000 which resolved to halve by 2015 the proportion of the world's people who suffer from hunger. This proportion unequivocally predominate the rural areas. With so many programmes in place to tackle rural development, what is required is resourceful management and implementation. This no doubt falls within the purv iew of message delivery systems. For enhanced sustainable rural development, it has been hypothesized that the rural populace must be given the enabling environment to be adequately informed so as to make informed choices from a range of appropriate dev elopment options. A sure strategy no doubt is to strengthen an institutional structure at the village level through which people can determine priority needs and decide how best to manage common resources in the interest of the community as a whole and serve as a liaison between the community and the gov ernment as well as development partners. The underlying imputation is a participatory approach to rural development facilitated through a vibrant message delivery system that allows for integration and assimilation. According to Bates (1985, p.245) as cited by Ansu-Kyeremeh (199S), "all media systems have their strengths and weaknesses and what is a strength in one medium is often a w eakness in another." This scenario has therefore necessitated the need for a blend not a mix of modem media system and traditional media system in ensuring sustainable rural development for no single media system can stand the challenges of dev elopment praxis. In this light, Chukwu (2006, p. 107) notes that "there has been a conscious effort by African scholars to integrate traditional and modern media of communication as a way of enhancing the quest for growth and development-" In terms of practicability, Wilson (2005) cites the "radio farm forum" as the most probably encouraging example of modem media working effectively with traditional modes of communication. According to him, "The approach incorporates the use of radio, the most accessible medium to rural populations in Africa, while relying heavily on discussion among participants to produce interests and results" (p. 227). Wilson (2005) in his discussion on the subject of "communicating for the masses and with the masses" takes a look at the MELDS model of African Communication Policy. This is an acronym for Mobilization, Education, Liberation, Dcvelopment/Dcmocratization and Self actualization/Self reliance as goals of communication. This MELDS model in Wilson's view, "promises to provide a new information view point using an acceptable model of rural/urban linkage between traditional and modem media systems as well as the several groups of channels that abound in African societies" (p.7). In demonstration of practicability and in corroboration of Wilson's view, Chukwu (2006, p. 116) says there is "nothing wrong in retaining the town ener or the conveying of village meetings since a combination of the radio and the town crier produces more than the use of either of them alone", (p. 116). Deductions from studies show that the idea of using one medium to complement, supplement or reinforce another is necessary for effective integrated rural development. In this context, therefore, reference must be made to Ugboajah's (1985) model of sustainable development referred to as the "Concentric Cultural Diameters". The model comprises three concentric circles that represent a three tier system of government. In terms of development, the model proposes that the modem message delivery system should be deployed to tackle development problems at the national level while at the state level, the modem and traditional

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media should be deployed for the same purpose. At the local level, the traditional delivery system should be deployed to ensure the adoption of an innovation whose diffusion was instigated through modern system deployment. The Concentric Cultural Diameters may not be holistic in application but it offers an insight into an array of variables that premeditate media selection because what may appear appropriate (media) at the central point may appear inappropriate at the periphery. A summation of the foregoing points to the fact that care must be taken to avoid complicity in media selection. This consideration upholds the assertion that the medium is the message because some messages do not lend themselves to certain media. This calls for a proper understanding of media selection techniques which inevitably will engender the platform for synergy between traditional and modem media. The under listed therefore serve as some of the prerequisites needed for this synergy: i. Policy makers should enact policies that will revive and revitalize our ailing traditional delivery system because some traditional modes of communication are approaching extinction today not because they have lost their relevance but because of neglect imposed on them by media policy makers and development programme planners. ii. There is need for a paradigm shift in the conception of development programmes. Rather than a *top-bottom" approach, a "bottom-top" approach will seem to enhance cultural identity while serving to encourage the people to see the development programme as their own through modes of communication they can identify with. iii. Development should be seen as a two-step process of information and adoption. While the modem delivery system can be used to diffuse the information needed to create awareness as well as instigate a linkage between policy makers and opinion leaders, the traditional delivery system can serve to induce favourable attitudinal dispositions thus engendering whole hearted acceptance - this is sustainability occasioned by synergy. Post Script Since sustainable rural development has been found to be a prerequisite to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, the vehicle through which development is conveyed to the people, as epitomized in media forms, must become a subject of great concern. This is because one sure way of getting to the people is through a message delivery system known and used by them. However, what is needed in the face of globalization is for traditional delivery systems to align with modern delivery systems with a view to ensuring that modern norms arc sustained while retaining indigent cultural identities.

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