ITU RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE USE OF RADIO FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The study set to examine the place of radio in rural development the rationale behind the study is to find out to prospects and challenges of using radio as a tool for rural development communication generally, has a very crucial role to play in bringing about positive attitudinal change. The first requirement for the development of an information society that enables the effective use of radio is wide spread access to the radio set and radio programs. Radio plays a very significant role in the development of the rural and urban areas as a society.
Several problems are however associated with the use of radio as tool for rural development in Nigeria, some of which are; communication related problems, message problems, message problems, illiteracy, the use of English Language by the electronic media, multiplicity of language in Nigeria, lack of audience feedback, ownership problems, dearth of qualified personnel, urban-central development journalism and death of community based or vernacular radio/telecommunication. Radio is an important tool for entertaining, informing and educating the society, but that there are certain factors that hinder the effective use of radio for rural development. It therefore recommends, among others, that radio station should endeavour to use local dialects, especially when the radio programme is aimed at the rural dwellers and that there is the need to establish community radio stations that will be closer to rural dwellers.
1.2 Statement of the Problems
It is generally believed that radio is the most important instrument in information dissemination because it reaches larger percentage of the people. Irrespective of their location, it promotes the level of awareness of the people on socio-political and economic issues and it also enables people to be adequately informed about programmes and activities of the government. However, it is not certain the extent to which resident of Itu Local Government Area has access to radio programmes. If they do, to what extent have radio have served developmental needs of the people. This therefore constitutes the concerns of the study.
1.3 Objective of the Study
i. To ascertain the extent of the use of radio for rural development.
ii. To find out the percentage of the role of radio in development among residents of Itu.
iii. To find out the areas of development that radio is most useful to residents of Itu Local Government Area.
ITU RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE USE OF RADIO FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
