Bridging the Communication Gap: Integrating Digital and Traditional Media Is Key to Transforming Agricultural Practices in Taraba State ~Dr. Gana

By Vivian Godwin Obianuju

The integration of modern digital communication tools with traditional media platforms will significantly improve the speed, reach and effectiveness of agricultural information dissemination among farmers in Taraba State, according to Dr. Stephen Victor Gana. He made this assertion following the successful defence of his PhD thesis at School of Postgraduate Studies, Glorious Vision University, Ogwa, Edo State.

The three-year research, which began in 2023, was motivated by growing concerns over persistent communication gaps between government agricultural agencies and farmers, particularly at the grassroots. Titled “Taraba State Government Strategic Communication Approaches for Enhancing Agricultural Practices,” the study examines why many well-intended agricultural programmes and policies in the state often fail to achieve long-term impact. The findings point to weak, poorly coordinated communication strategies that leave farmers inadequately informed, disengaged and excluded from decision-making processes.

Dr. Gana’s research advocates a sustainable, farmer-centred strategic communication framework that combines traditional channels such as radio, extension services and community meetings with modern digital tools including Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, Easy Farming applications, online partnership networks and interactive digital feedback systems.

 According to him, this blended approach would not only increase awareness but also promote timely information exchange, farmer participation, innovation adoption and productivity across the agricultural value chain.

Speaking during the oral defence, the Chairman of the Assessment Panel, Prof. Andrew Asan Ate, a Professor of Mass Communication from Edo State University, Iyamho, described the study as timely and highly relevant to Nigeria’s current socio-economic realities. He noted that the work has strong policy value and could serve as a blueprint not only for Taraba State but for other agric-aligned and food-producing states in the country. Prof. Ate emphasised that treating farmers as key stakeholders and development partners, rather than passive recipients of information, is central to achieving sustainable agricultural development.

Further eulogising on the research, the Vice-Chancellor of Glorious Vision University, Prof. Ezekiel Asemah—renowned scholar, professional communicator and one of Nigeria’s most cited professors of Mass Communication, commended the depth and scholarly rigour of the work. As the major supervisor of the thesis, Prof. Asemah described the study as well-researched, theoretically grounded and rich in practical recommendations capable of addressing long-standing challenges in agricultural communication. He urged the Taraba State Government to urgently consider adopting key recommendations, particularly those that leverage digital communication tools to bridge information gaps between policymakers and farmers.

Among other recommendations, the study calls for regular communication audits of government agricultural programmes, capacity building for extension officers and farmers in digital literacy, the establishment of interactive feedback mechanisms and the use of local languages to enhance message clarity and acceptance. It also recommends strategic partnerships between government, educational institutions, media organisations and technology providers to strengthen agricultural communication infrastructure across the state.

Dr. Stephen Victor Gana, a native of Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, is a young scholar with over seven years of professional experience spanning media practice, public relations, agricultural communication and strategic communication. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Taraba State University, Jalingo. Married with a daughter, Dr. Gana’s research reflects a strong commitment to using communication grounded research as a tool for social development and policy transformation.