Department of Broadcasting, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria.
In adopting the Millennium Declaration in the year 2000, the international community pledged to spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty. Poverty can manifest in various forms. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation. No matter how good the health care system of a nation is, if the nation neglects communication as a potent tool for promoting healthy living, the nation will not achieve in terms of health. More than halfway towards the target date-2015, we need to know how far we have gone in employing communication in mobilizing Nigerians for healthy living. This study therefore employs survey and content analysis methods to take stock of how communication has been used to mobilize Nigerians for healthy living. Broadcast media programmes on health and people of Lagos are used for the study. Agenda-setting and media ecology theory, are used to crystallise the study. In summary, the study reveals that in spite of the fact that National Broadcasting Commission does not specify health programming in its code, broadcast stations in Nigeria have health programmes in their programme schedule. It also reveals that the private stations have more health programmes than public health stations.The study indicates that respondents get information on health related issues from television than any other media of mass communication. It also reveals that information on HIV/AIDS and Malaria are most presented on broadcast media in Nigeria. The findings will be useful to the government, policy makers, health practitioners, media professionals and the general public. It is an effort in cultivating healthy living for a wealthy nation.
