An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Communication Channels and Campaign Messages Employed in the Fight Against Covid-19 in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

During the last pandemic, information campaigns were principal in the management and prevention of public health challenges of global magnitude, such as the COVID-19 virus. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the communication channels and campaign messages used in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria in general and Anambra State in particular. Adopting the survey research design of the quantitative research method, with 210 respondents as the selected sample size, the data for the study were collected from twenty-one local government areas of Anambra State. The findings of the study show that the COVID-19 campaign was very robust in Anambra State, and the messages were quite effective in the management and prevention of the spread of the virus in the state. For instance, among the communication models and campaign messages deployed in the fight against the spread of the virus in Anambra, it was observed that the most potent information sources in the fight against COVID-19 in Anambra were friends, family, and colleagues. While Radio was the most effective channel, about 99% were sent via messages, and about 53% of the people living in Anambra were exposed to the COVID-19 campaign messages in the state. The COVID-19 campaign messages helped the majority of the people living in the state manage the virus, and by implication, it was a successful campaign. However, efforts towards strengthening these channels and/or providing new strategies are recommended for more effective information delivery and management of public health challenges in the future.