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.
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He further drew attention to the growing need for communication models that go beyond rhetoric, and engage with communities in meaningful ways.
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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.
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.
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.
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Drawing on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr.
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.
Another critical area highlighted by Dr.
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Odoom's advocacy also extended to democratic governance, which he described as a core area that requires the adoption of development communication principles.
According to Dr.
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.
This is the responsibility of every journalist and media house in the country," Dr.
To fully realize the potential of development communication, Dr.
He also called for the training of more development communication professionals.
Without the right skills and tools, our communication will continue to fall short of what is needed to drive national development," Dr.
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.
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