Non-Literates Population in Pandemics: An Appraisal of NCDC Strategies for Communicating Covid-19 Safety Protocols in Selected States of South-West Nigeria

Since ancient times, communication has been recognised as an essential aspect of human life. Its significance becomes even more pronounced when conveying health messages to vulnerable populations in times of public health emergencies. Non-literates are in the circles of sophisticated communication systems and face numerous obstacles in obtaining or processing information, particularly in the face of public health crises. This may be related to how the information is packaged. Drawing upon these intricacies, the objective of this exploratory study is to investigate NCDC’s communication strategies for relaying Covid-19 safety protocols to the non-literate population of southwest Nigeria. Using a qualitative research method, the study purposively interviewed six key informants: three officials from the NCDC and three health personnel from the Ministry of Health at the state level. Emerging themes from the analysis of the interview data were designed into a model and were discussed. The results showed that NCDC communication strategies for non-literates were context-specific, multifaceted, and diverse, with a reliance on interpersonal communication to raise awareness and encourage adherence to safety measures. These strategies encompassed different channels for relaying information, various message formats, campaigning tactics against the disease, and delivery methods for reaching to non-literate audience members.