Development is both a physical reality and a state of mind in which society secures the means of obtaining a better life.
Through this process, the society ensures growth in wealth acquisition and mental enrichment as well as betterment of quality living conditions of all the people.
Development seeks to increase peoples’ freedom to choose by widening the range of their choice variables such as goods and services for the enhancement of their dignity and self-worth.
The multifaceted nature of development means that concerted efforts are required in appreciating its practical manifestations.
Development is social change for the better and change be it individual or societal almost always requires communication.
Communication plays a central role in social development. It is recognized as one of the critical functions of any system, organization, or society.
Particularly, citizens rely on knowledge and information in order to successfully respond to the opportunities and challenges of social, economic, cultural, political and technological changes.
However, for knowledge and information to be useful in the development process, they must be effectively communicated to people.
This brings to the fore the compelling relevance of development communication in development discourse.
A better understanding of communication leads to more meaningful applications of its methods in development work.
Communication is the compulsory element in building trust, sharing knowledge, and safeguarding joint understanding.
Studies have shown that while groups of the public can obtain information from impersonal sources (radio, television, internet, and brochures) this information has relatively little influence on behavioural changes, while development is interested precisely in such results.
Successful communication interventions can also rely on more participatory and interpersonal methods, not only on the media to engage and inform audiences.
