UniMAC senior lecturer calls for focus on development communication as a driving force for Ghana

A Development Communication Specialist, Dr. Daniel Odoom has emphasised the need for Ghana to refocus its development strategies to prioritize development communication as a critical driving force for the country’s socio-economic transformation.

In an interview with the Daily Statesman on September 19, 2024, Dr. Odoom, who is also a Senior Lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences, University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), said the country’s development efforts, across all sectors, must be informed by communication strategies and techniques that promote sustainable development.

He added that Ghana needed development communication to be able to effectively bridge the gap between the poor and the rich, enhance public support and acceptance of development policies, and empower citizens and local communities to actively participate in the country’s overall development process.

Dr. Odoom emphasised that development is communicative. This, according to him, means that without a shift towards development communication approach, Ghana’s ability to tackle critical challenges in health, education, governance, agriculture and environment would be severely limited. He further drew attention to the growing need for communication models that go beyond rhetoric, and engage with communities in meaningful ways.

Dr. Odoom explained the concept of development communication as the use of communication in all its forms, approaches, strategies, techniques, methods, skills to bring about improvement. He stressed its compelling role in fostering change and sustainable socio-economic development, with the people playing a vital role in it.

He explained further: “Development communication is also about engaging people on issues that matter to them. It is about empowering people and communities to take ownership of their development. Development communication helps to create awareness about development issues, give voices to the excluded and the marginalized in society, and ensure that national policies reflect national priorities and needs.”

The expert lamented that much of the communication in Ghana, particularly in the political and media landscapes, remained focused on sensationalism at the expense of meaningful conversations to drive development.

“We have several platforms that should be used to educate and inform the masses, but these platforms are often used for political mudslinging and meaningless entertainment,” Dr. Odoom stated.

He argued that if Ghana was to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster a thriving economy and prosperity for all her citizens, communication efforts must be deliberately aligned with development objectives.

“Whether it is addressing health crisis, promoting education, or enhancing democratic governance, the value we place on communication in our development and the kind of communication we adopt will determine how far we go as a nation,” Dr. Odoom added.

Dr. Odoom outlined several areas where development communication could have an immediate impact in Ghana. He called for improved public health awareness campaigns and crisis management techniques for the various areas of development using participatory communication.

Drawing on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Odoom noted that communication played a pivotal role in awareness creation about the pandemic, safety protocols and vaccination efforts. “Development communication played a critical role during the pandemic. Imagine the kind of change we will witness if we seriously decide to apply development communication strategies in other health issues like malaria, maternal care, and nutrition,” he said.

Touching on education, Dr. Odoom stressed the importance of using communication to improve literacy rates and enhance access to quality education, particularly in rural areas.

He urged the government to invest in development communication strategies to enhance stakeholder engagement. “Parents, teachers, and community leaders will all play their roles effectively to promote education for all citizens of Ghana when we effectively engage them.

“We need to foster a culture where communities take ownership of their educational development. This can only happen through proper communication that addresses their specific needs and cultural uniqueness of communities. This is where development communication which values ownership and meaningful participation of all stakeholders matters,” he emphasised.

Another critical area highlighted by Dr. Odoom was environmental sustainability. He pointed out that ongoing government campaigns to tackle illegal mining (galamsey) and deforestation could be more effective if communication strategies were developed to directly engage affected communities. “People need to understand why protecting our natural resources is not just a government agenda but something that benefits them and future generations,” he said.

He explained further: “Tackling illegal mining is a shared responsibility. Political actors, traditional and religious leaders all matter in the fight like the citizenry. Ghana can effectively address galamsey through the incorporation of development communication methodologies. Development Communication can play the role of getting all these stakeholders to focus on the bigger picture and the need to fashion out common solutions to the menace”.

Dr. Odoom’s advocacy also extended to democratic governance, which he described as a core area that requires the adoption of development communication principles. He argued that communication is key to improving transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.

“Development communication facilitates access to useful information. Citizens must be well-informed and have the means to engage with their leaders on critical issues. This is how trust is built between the government and the people, and it is essential for a functioning democracy,” he noted.

According to Dr. Odoom, the Ghanaian media has a significant role to play in this process. He called on media organizations to shift their focus from sensational news coverage to reporting on development issues that impact the lives of Ghanaians.

“We have to go beyond the headlines and dig deeper into how government policies affect our people. Journalists must prioritize content which enables citizens to better understand their role in public policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. This is the responsibility of every journalist and media house in the country,” Dr. Odoom indicated.

To fully realize the potential of development communication, Dr. Odoom urged both public and private stakeholders to invest in communication infrastructure and training. He also called for the training of more development communication professionals.

He used the opportunity to urge interested persons to apply to UniMAC where they have exciting programmes in development communication at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

“We need to train more development communication professionals, and we need to provide platforms where these professionals can thrive. Without the right skills and tools, our communication will continue to fall short of what is needed to drive national development,” Dr. Odoom said. He added that communication in Ghana must be redefined if the country is to achieve its development goals.

He believes by placing development communication at the centre of national dialogue, Ghana can empower its citizens to fully take charge of the country’s development.

He also stressed the need for government ministries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other development partners to collaborate with UniMAC on how to develop a national development communication policy framework based for the country. “UniMAC is ever ready to lead in developing a comprehensive development communication policy framework to help change the development narratives of the country,” he assured.

“We have the resources, the talent, and the potential. What we need now is a conscious shift in how we drive our development, with a clear focus on communication strategies and techniques which stimulate social change.

"Communication methods and approaches which help to bring every Ghanaian onboard, engendering inclusive development. We need to build a Ghana that works for everyone, not just a few people. This thinking will be better be anchored on development communication methodologies,” he said.

He called on the youth not to allow themselves to be used as destructive tools by politicians as the December polls approaches. He also urged the the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections to help consolidate Ghana’s democracy.

Dr. Daniel Odoom, Senior Lecturer, Dean of Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences at UniMAC & Development Communication Specialist