Towards Overcoming Challenges of Risk Communication on Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Abstract

This study focuses on overcoming challenges of risk communication on covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Taking a qualitative approach, the study observes that many efforts by government and other development partners have failed in gaining the support and cooperation of their target beneficiary groups as a result of different factors but more fundamentally as a result of inappropriate and inadequate application of communication. The study, anchored on the cognition dissonance-consonance theory, reveals that the fight against covid-19 by the government of Nigeria is far from being successful consequent upon people’s refusal to even believe in the existence of covid-19 and adopt preventive measures put in place to check its spread. This failure, the study believes is caused by inability of the government to apply the right communication strategies in engendering the desired response. The study, therefore, recommends many behavioural change communication strategies among which include application of integrated marketing communication approaches and use of opinion, traditional and religious leaders in this regard.