THE ROLE OF RADIO IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF AMA-OGODO COMMUNITY ENUGU STATE)
ABSTRACT
Radio as a member of the media family is an instrument for information dissemination. World over, the radio is known to be a very powerful developed world, radio has been used for the singular medium that is most effective for mass mobilization “ Onabajo (2001,30). In Nigeria today, we have so many radio stations but most of our rural communities are still under developed. This research therefore, aimed at finding out some other roles which the radio is supposed to play in order to facilitate the development of four rural communities. Ama-ogodo community of Imike Enugu Village was studied for the purpose, using the survey research method, and the instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. The findings are as follows: Radio stations should be constructed in our rural communities to bring information nearer to the local people. The local dialect of the rural dwellers should be mainly in broadcast to alternate, to tell the rural dwellers the steps taken by other cities that have attained development, and also be mobilized them to do the same. Since the radio is by no means a small instrument for community development, it is important that the government and other hand to the radio stations to help them carry out these roles of their for greater achievement.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Ama-Ogodo community is a small community located in Imilile-enu village of Udenu local government area of Enugu State.
The population is bout 4,000, the adult among them are mostly subsistence farmers and petty traders. They do not have organized market so they always carry their products to their neighboring villages where that markets functions once in every Four days.
They do not have factories or any other establishment that can get people employed and for this reason, most of the youths migrates to the cities in search of better life and greener pastures.
This situation leaves the community void of the youths who are supposed to buid if for greater tomorrow.
What are really prompted the researcher to embark on this study is that since the inception of this community till today, things have remained the same. Everything has been static in terms of development.
And what does development mean? According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, “ A Developed country or area is a place that has a highly organized economy and political system”
On the other hand, a developed area is an area or a place where the majority of its populace are enlightened and there is good infrastructural facility such as good roads, portable water, electricity, good health care nice residential houses as well as factories that can offer employment to people and where the people can fend for themselves.
“ Information is raw a materials for development for both the Urban and the rural dwellers”
This was said by Yahaya Ibrahim harande. Wonders why Ama-Ogodo community is not developing even with the huge number of radio stations and other media houses we have in Nigeria today, and these radio stations give out information on daily bases.
Brooding over this situation, she noticed that most of the radio stations and other media houses in Nigeria do not plan their programme in favour of the rural communities, they focus more on the Urban areas.
Could it be that these media establishment’s owners and their workers do not know that without the development of our rural communities that Nigeria will never became fully developed? Yahya also noted that “ The development of countries globally cannot be achieved without the development of the rural communities”.
For this reason, the researcher solicit with the media mostly the radio because of its far reaching capacity to put more effort in their pursuit to bring development to our communities.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It can now be, said here that the phenomenon which has occurred and which is still occurring is the fact that Ama-Ogodo community has remained statics in terms of development since it came into existence.
It is also known there are some other communities in Nigeria which are not deveped just like Ama- Ogodo , at this jet age when even thesmaller countries around us are boasting of continous supply of electricity. The researcher does not want this phenomenon to continue to occur and that is why she has carried out this research.
So far, she has found out that the rsadio stations kin Nigeria focus more kon the urban areas than the rural communities. This has kept Ama ogodo and most other communities in Nigeria fsar from being developed.
The adverse effect of this is that most of the youths in Ama ogodo have migrated to the cities kin search of greener pastures which are no longer easy to find in those cities, and some times, they turn out to become armed robbers.
Again, the people that remain in the community do not also find it easy because of the monotonous life they live there. There is little or no activities to entertain them. And most of the community people who live outside the community are scared to travel home.
Also, farm produce in the community do not yield well because of the farmers do not have the means of learning how to make use of the modern farming implements and other things like fertilizer. To add to the fact that the traders among them have no means to advertise their products. These are just some of the problems facing Ama ogodo community and the radio will go a long way to bring these problems to an end if they carry out their role in this community, property.
1.3 PURPOSE OR OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the purpose of this study
To find out whether the radio can be used in the development of our communities.
To determine the method to be used by the radio in korder to bring about a quick and effective development of Ama ogodo community.
To identify the vices that associates with undeveloped community.
To find out the benefits of having developed communities.
To examine the factors that may militate against the radio in their effort to help develop our communities.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The immediate people affected by the problem are the people of Ama ogodo community and for this, they will benefit first as the research will be carried out on them, the people will become enlightened and vice will be reduces in the area.
Other undeverloped communities in Nigerias will also benefit because as they may have similar problem, with Ama ogodo, the same process will be used in solving the problem.
Again the mass media mostly the radio stations will benefit because there will be smooth and easy flow of information round the country even to the most interior parts. The cities in Nigeria will gain because congestion of people in those places will be reduced and crime will be reduced also.
Above all, Nigeria as a whole will benefit because the economy will improve as most people will go back to their communities and get themselves employed to yield more revenue to the country.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions are the questions that will guide the researcher in the search for the solution to her research problem.
What are the role of the radio in community development.
What are the method to be used by the radio to facilitate the effective development of Ama ogodo community?
What are the consequences of undeveloped communities?
What are the hindrances that the radio may encounter in their effort to develop our communities?
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following statements will provide some guide for the study
HI: The radio can be used to develop our communities.
HO: The radio cannot be used to develop our communities.
HI: The use of the local dialect by the radio can facilitate the development of our communities.
HO: The use of local dialect by the radio cannot facilitate the development of our communities.
HI: The development of Ama ogodo community will provide employment for the rural dwellers.
HO: The developemnet of Ama ogodo community will not provide employment for the rural dwellers.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Words or terms are defined in their conceptual and operational meaning.
The conceptual meaning of words means the way the writer wants the reader to understand the word as it is used in the write- up while the operational meaning of any word means the universal accepted meaning of the word.
As the topic of this research is “ the Role of radio in community Development”, the conceptual and the operational meaning of the words are as follows:
OPERATIONAL MEANING
RADIO: An apparatus for the dissemination of information community: Groups or people that live in a particular area.
DEVELOPMENT: The gradual growth of a place so that it will become more advanced and stronger.
CONCEPTUAL MEANING
ROLE(GOVERNMENT): The rate at which the radio is supposed to get involved in the activities of our community to help it develop.
RADIO: The process of sending information to a large number of people through an electromagnetic wave.
COMMUNITY: Group of unenlightened and uneducated people that live together in a village.
DEVELOPMENT: The process of making the uneducated and unenlightened people become enlightened and learn to use their area of land and other possessions of theirs to make profit and be useful to themselves and the society at a large.
1.8 ASSUMPTION OF THE STUDY
It is assumed that the radio do not focus well on our rural communities. They do not explain the media message to them in the way that they will understand and radio houses are not within the reach of our rural communities like Ama-Ogodo.
1.9 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is meant to cover only Ama-Ogodo community of Imilike in Udenu Local Government Area to find out how the Radio can be used to bring development to the area.
THE ROLE OF RADIO IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF AMA-OGODO COMMUNITY ENUGU STATE)