BY IKENNA ASOMBA

Not quite long ago, the media was awash with how a young entrepreneur, Miss Cynthia Osokogu, a post-graduate student of Nassarawa State University, Lafia was lured all the way from Nassarawa to Lagos State by her Facebook acquaintances, where she eventually ended up being murdered in cold blood.

It is in recognition of this powerful effect of the social media that communication scholars and experts gathered for the 2nd edition of the Professor Ebenezer Soola Conference on Communication at the University of Ibadan to chart ways on how government and stakeholders can harness it for sustainable human and national development.

Shortly after the four-day conference themed Harnessing the New Media of Communication for Sustainable Human Development, Quadlife had a chat with the former Director, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba, Lagos, Mr. Olujimi Kayode, who co-authored a paper delivered at the conference with Mr. Thanny Noeem, a lecturer at the Department of Public Relations & Advertising, Lagos State University-Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication (LASU-AASOC) on Health Communication, New Media and Human Development.

According Kayode, in recognition of the fact that so many Nigerians, most especially the youths, use the social media, government and other stakeholders in the health sector must seize the opportunity to enlighten the masses about preventive health information. This, he said would engender human and national development if used efficiently.

“Without wishing away the powerful effect of the social media as a complementary channel of getting health information where there’s no doctor, and aside radio, television, newspaper and magazine, it becomes imperative for government and other stakeholders in the health sector to judiciously tap into the rich potentials available in the social media to inform, enlighten and educate the Nigerian populace on how they could prevent certain ailments which have overtime led to massive loss of lives.

“Government and stakeholders in the health sector must not just see the social media as platforms for unserious people and idle minds, but where health information, especially those that will help prevent certain ailments, can be issued for public good and consumption.

“If doctors are not readily available, then the social media is the best bet for people to access information about preventive medical information.”

The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Andrew Moemeka, a Professor of Development Communication, while the conference was chaired by Mr. Chris Doghudje, doyen of advertising practice in Nigeria, but was represented by Alhaji Bola Agboola, Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Lagos Operations.