Strategic Communication Planning for Non-Governmental Organisations in Northern Nigeria

This study examines strategic communication planning practices in non-governmental organisations operating in northern Nigeria, with a focus on humanitarian and development organisations in the Lake Chad Basin area. Effective strategic communication is essential for NGOs to mobilise resources, coordinate with government, maintain donor confidence, and serve beneficiary communities in complex operating environments. Northern Nigeria's conflict, poverty, and cultural diversity create distinctive communication challenges that require contextually informed strategic planning. This study uses a qualitative methodology, conducting semi-structured interviews with 30 communication managers, programme directors, and community liaison officers from local and international NGOs operating across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Kano States. Document analysis of communication strategies, annual reports, and donor reports supplements the interview data. Findings reveal that most sampled NGOs maintain formal communication strategies, but these are predominantly donor-facing rather than community-centred. Local language communication is acknowledged as essential but underfunded, with translation services often cut during budget constraints. Social media strategies are well developed for urban audience engagement but ineffective in the rural communities NGOs primarily serve. Internal communication strategies are weak, contributing to field-headquarter information gaps. The study concludes that NGO communication strategies in northern Nigeria require fundamental reorientation toward community-centred, local-language approaches. It recommends strategic communication capacity building that prioritises community feedback loops, indigenous language communication, and conflict-sensitive messaging frameworks as standard elements of NGO communication plans.

Keywords: strategic communication, NGOs, northern Nigeria, humanitarian communication, community engagement.