ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NEMA’S COMMUNICATION WITH SOUTH-SOUTH RESIDENTS DURING THE 2019 FLOOD DISASTER

Abstract

This assessed the communication strategies between NEMA and residents of South-South Nigeria in managing 2019 flooding. The main aim of the study was to find out the communication strategies that were employed by the National Emergency Management Agency in communicating flooding information to the target audiences in 2019 in South-South Nigeria. To direct the course of the study six research questions were formulated. Participatory communication theory, protection motivation theory and diffusion of innovation theory were used for the theoretical framework. The study employed the survey research design and the research instruments were questionnaire and interview guide. The study population comprised of residents of South-South Nigeria, within the age category of 20 to 84 which was 14,180,716 and using the Keyton’s Sampling Technique, the sample size of 384 was drawn from the population. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics with frequency table of values and measures such as: weighted mean score. The study found out that residents of the affected communities in South-South Nigeria did not communicate adequately to NEMA during the flooding in 2019 and the most used of all the modes of communication indicated was through the community leaders. The study concluded that the communication strategies of NEMA were not sufficient enough to stimulate the residents to carry out the agency’s recommendations in 2019 flooding, but the mobilisation efforts of the leaders and the eagerness of the residents as a result of their previous flooding experiences aided in flood management. The study recommended that NEMA needs to take advantage of the experiences, skills, self-mobilisation efforts of the leaders and eagerness of the residents of the affected communities in South-South in managing flooding and improving them for effective flood disaster management.