Evaluation of Communication Strategies Employed By Taraba State Government during the 2011 Flood Disaster Awareness Campaign

Abstract

This study evaluated communication strategies employed by Taraba State Government during the 2011 flood disaster awareness campaign. The study was premised on risk communication theory and survey; method was employed to obtain data from asample of 379 respondents across various flood prone areas in Jalingo Metropolis. The Findings show that radio, television, newspapers and magazines were the major channels of communication used by Taraba State Government. Among these communication channels, radio was found to be the major channel of communication through which quick campaign warning messages were sent to the people at risk. Likewise, the study found that the strategies Taraba State Government used before, during and after flood disaster during the campaign awareness were advocacy visit to the flooded communities and door-to-door strategies. Against this background door-to-door communication is considered a very good medium for communicating disaster information in the studied area. Finally the study among others, recommended that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) should intensify the use of radio and door-to-door methods in managing flood disaster in the state. Thus, the study further recommended that SEMA and the broadcast media should work together toward production of quality programmes that will go a long way in informing and educating the populace in the state about flood disaster.