It appears that millions of Nigerians are yet to understand the alarming message that Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a very deadly disease, otherwise how can one explain the attitude and behaviour of many in our big cities, who move as if they are in denial of the virus. Yet a news report in Punch Healthwise by Tessy Igomu of June 23, 2020, revealed that 1.7 billion people across the world risk severe COVID-19 infection. This figure represents about 22% of the world population. This research finding came out of a modeling study by Medical Xpress and published in the prestigious Lancet Global Health journal. This alarming finding underscores the need for an aggressive risk communication strategy to get the people fully aware of the risk
Risk communication is one of the core capacities to be developed by countries as required by the International Health Regulations (2005) that came into force on 15 June 2007. The International Health Regulations were developed to protect the global community from public health risks and emergencies that cross international borders (See National Risk Communication Plan, India via https://ncdc.gov.in/WriteReadData/l892s/File593.pdf).
Writing on risk communication in public health generally in 2011, Chris Lowbridge and Julie Leask rightly observed that “risk communication is fundamental to public health practice and critical to the success of any public health response”. This is because “effective risk communication is essential for improving public understanding of potential or actual health threats and helps the public to make informed decisions about risk mitigation measures”. Drawing from Covello, V.T (1993), Lowbridge and Leask, then defined risk communication “as a two-way exchange of information between interested parties about the nature, significance and/or control of a risk”.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has taken the issue of risk communication as an important aspect of its response strategy. It has for example, a Risk Communication Pillar in its National Emergency Operations Centre. Again, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 established a risk Communication Unit. Both the PTF and NCDC have been carrying out aggressive public enlightenment campaign on the serious threat to life posed by the COVID-19 disease to all Nigerians who care to listen.
The central message of the campaign has been that all Nigerians should “adhere to the use of face masks when in public; wash hands frequently; and always observe physical distancing of at least 2 metres from others”.
They have also been communicating to the public on the need to take personal responsibility in fighting the spread of this deadly virus. Furthermore, they have been addressing the critical issue of public misconceptions, superstition and ignorance among some people.
Above all, they have been strengthening response efforts and ensuring that members of the public have the confidence to take responsibility in the fight against COVID-19. As we note these risk communication efforts of the government, you may be wondering and asking also why many Nigerians appear to be deaf by not complying with the messages targeted at them.
Going beyond the government, the private sector-driven Coalition Against COVID-19 (CA-COVID) has also been implementing an aggressive risk communication strategy in all the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria, using all known means of reaching the people and even in their local languages. CA-COVID believes that “the end of COVID-19 in Nigeria can only become visible when Nigerians, get more enlightened and fully adhere to the provided guidelines”. Consequently, CA-COVID “tries to quicken this process through its advocacy and enlightenment efforts across several media”. And, to demonstrate further its seriousness, it has “enlisted the help of CEOs, billionaires, and even celebrities to speak to Nigerians in the language they understand and get them to accept that this pandemic is not a joke”.(See https://nairametrics.com/2020/05/12/). But how well are the people reacting to its message?
Generally, Nigerians exhibit very high level of impunity because there is no leadership-by-example, there is lack of trust, and lastly there is poor enforcement of laws.
Apart from government and private sector efforts, international development partners are not left out in the implementation of various risk and communication strategies against the spread of COVID-19. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been doing spectacular work at the national level in the ‘risk communication and community engagement functional area in developing and disseminating COVID-19 messaging and infographics across the country’. According to it, over three million U-Reporters have been engaged on the U-Report platform to support information dissemination. And at the state level, it is using unique and most relevant communicating channels to reach out to the people in states such as Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Enugu, Zamfara, Kebbi, Rivers, Sokoto, Borno and Yobe (See https://www.unicef.org/appeals/files/UNICEF_Nigeria_COVID19_Situation_Report_10_April_2020.pdf).
In spite of all these risk communication efforts by the government, private sector and international development partners, there are no significant changes in the attitude and behaviour among Nigerians towards complying with the guidelines for containing the spread of COVID-19. For example, the business-as-usual mentality has remained a standard practice for many Nigerians. One is at a great loss why this is so. Even in the churches and mosques during the brief period of the easing of the lockdown, people were not obeying the required NCDC protocols. There were instances when some church ministers appealed repeatedly to members to put on their masks but the appeal fell on deaf ears on some. So what are the responsible reasons for the poor compliance level among Nigerians?
The first is that the level of public trust in the government is very low. This factor has been analysed in this column in the past. The main cause of the low level of people’s trust in their government is lack of leadership-by-example, and wide abuse of powers. Those in power do not practise what they preach and the people take a cue from that. For example, laws which are meant to be obeyed by everyone are not obeyed by those in power. People see exceptions as a norm rather than a justifiable rare occurrence.
The second reason for poor compliance is related to lack of trust. The enforcement of laws is very weak and the law enforcement agents are easily compromised by those who violate the laws. This exists in every aspect of life.
The third reason is the high level on impunity among Nigerians. This factor has been discussed in this column extensively. For example, when some people freely move about with AK-47 which is unlawful and then go further to harass innocent citizens boldly in their farms, then the victims can easily conclude that different laws exist for different people in the land.
Generally, Nigerians exhibit very high level of impunity because there is no leadership-by-example, there is lack of trust, and lastly there is poor enforcement of laws. The last reason for our purpose here is the existence of wide spread corruption which is related to the other factors. With low level of enforcement and impunity, violators of laws know that with a little bribery, they can easily get away with their acts lawlessness.
In conclusion, we can just say that governments at all levels have a lot of job to do in getting Nigerians to comply with the risk communication messages on the PTF and NCDC guidelines, as well as those by CA-COVID, and the international development partners. They should start first by improving the level of public trust through good governance and through leadership-by-example. The poor level of enforcement of laws of the land should be significantly improved. All of these will significantly reduce the high level of impunity among Nigerians which will in turn possibly make them to begin to drop the idea that with bribery and corruption, one can easily get away with acts of impunity.
•Prof. Isaac N. Obasi, a public policy expert (& former columnist in the Daily Trust, Abuja, March 2003 to October 2006, & Daily Champion, Lagos, April 2005 to December 2008), is of the Department of Public Administration, University of Abuja. Email: nnamdizik@gmail.com