The Impact of Radio Programmes in the Development of Rural Areas
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
In a general form, the study seeks to find out if radio broadcast programs influence rural development in Awgu local government area of Enugu state. Therefore the major focus of the study will be to:
- Find out the extent to which residents of Awgu listen to radio programmes on development.
- Find out how often the residents of Awgu listen to radio programms.
- Ascertain whether the residents of Agwu have experienced development through listening to the programs.
- Ascertain the challenges preventing the development of Awgu local governmentthrough local broadcast developmental programmes.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Development as a Concept
Nigeria faced significant development challenges. As accurate population counts, for Nigeria are difficult to obtain because such figures are tied directly to representation in the National Assembly and distribution of national wealth(http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com September 11,2011,page two).In 2003,60% of the population lived below the poverty line;70% were engaged in agriculture, particularly of the subsistence type;68% were literate; infant mortality stood at 70 deaths per 1000 live births . Today, Nigeria’s population is over 152 million with majority of the population still living below poverty line and dwelling in the rural area. Thus, this has called for the in depth definition of development in order to know what it is and its relatedness to the rural areas. Since the mid 20th century, according to Mattelart and Mattelart (1998:36) development has become a term synonymous with growth, modernisation, and social change. These concepts, which are most often applied to the ‘Third World’; since they are undeveloped, have been at the centre of many scholarly studies. Researchers have not been able to agree on a single definition of development – perhaps because of the diverse nature of the notion. 17 Some scholars contend that the meaning of development in one part of the world may be different from that of another area, according to Servas etal (1996:82); this is because each country is considered peculiar in its own physical environment, culture, natural resources, and general way of life . Of course there are some similarities (common features) here and there, but each country remains unique in its own setting. The best definition of development, for this study, is taken from Servaes et al. (1996:82-83), who sees development as a multidimensional process that involves change in social structures, attitudes, institutions, economic growth, reduction of inequality, and the eradication of poverty. In olden fashion, development meant the poor countries imitating the developed West, and abandoning traditional, barbaric or uncivilized technologies and cultures in favour of the modern Westernised ones. Serveas etal (1996:83) demonstrated that, latter scholars coined the term ‘another development’, which calls for satisfaction of needs, endogenous self-reliance, participatory democracy and life in harmony with the environment – now popularly known as sustainable development. According to Asadu (2009:5), development means different things to different people but generally, it involves a change from one way to another, where the latter is usually considered better than the former. Development is one of the oldest and most powerful of all western ideas about social progress or lack of it. It can be traced to as far back as the works of 19th century philosophers such as Condorcet, Comte, Durkheim, Saint-Simon, Spencer and even Karl Marx. Development can occur in every aspect of peoples’ life such as culture, economy, etc. Servaes (1999: 14) says, in sum, it is safe to say that today scholars, as well as policymakers, look upon development as an ethical-political 18 process of social change. It is safe therefore, to argue that modern theorists see the whole dimension of human life as a yardstick for gauging development.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the impact of radio programmes in the development of rural areas. residents of Awgu form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of radio programmes in the development of rural areas. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the impact of radio programmes in the development of rural areas
Summary
This study was on the impact of radio programmes in the development of rural areas. Three objectives were raised which included: Find out the extent to which residents of Awgu listen to radio programmes on development, find out how often the residents of Awgu listen to radio programs, ascertain whether the residents of Agwu have experienced development through listening to the programs and ascertain the challenges preventing the development of Awgu local government through local broadcast developmental programmes. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected residents of Awgu. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The present study was aimed to find out the study on impact of community radio programs in rural development. The finding of the study revealed that the community radio programs are giving such knowledge to the rural area peoples. To increase the community radio listeners, give license to the NGO under community radios. Because of NGO’s stations are focused on through the community development.
Recommendation
Reach and Effectiveness of Community Radio Stations in Awgu brought to light some pertinent findings which need to be considered while charting future course of action for this scheme. The study offers strategic insights into the performance of the scheme highlighting its efficacy and effectiveness in providing the desired impact on community. The results of the study have led us to propose certain improvements in the operation and functioning of Awgu for empowerment of rural masses. It is hoped that the technical inputs derived from this study would serve to strengthen the scheme by pinpointing the areas requiring refinement or modifications to ensure optimum benefits for the community. The government should provide free license in installation of Awgu in the backward rural areas for the sustainable progress of the nation
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