Strategic Communication Planning for Public Health Campaigns in North West Nigeria

Effective public health communication in North West Nigeria requires strategic planning that accounts for language diversity, limited media infrastructure, and varying levels of formal education among target populations. This study developed and evaluated a strategic communication planning framework for public health campaigns in Kaduna, Kano, and Sokoto States. A programme development approach combining audience research, channel analysis, and stakeholder consultation was employed. Focus group discussions were conducted with 48 participants across six communities stratified by gender and rural-urban classification, supplemented by structured interviews with 15 state ministry of health communication officers. Audience analysis data identified Hausa-language community messaging through mosques and market criers as the most trusted channels for health information among rural respondents, while urban professional audiences showed high reliance on social media and radio. The strategic framework developed comprises seven components: situation analysis, audience segmentation, message platform development, channel mix selection, implementation timeline, monitoring indicators, and feedback integration mechanisms. The framework was piloted in a maternal health campaign across three LGAs in Kaduna State, achieving a 34.2 percent increase in antenatal clinic attendance over twelve weeks. Expert review by ten public health communication specialists confirmed the framework's practical applicability. The study recommends the Kaduna State Ministry of Health adopt this framework as a standard template for all future public health communication campaigns and that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency fund its adaptation for all six geopolitical zones.

Keywords: strategic communication, public health campaigns, North West Nigeria, campaign planning, Hausa community