Crisis communication and humanism in Nigeria

Abstract

Crisis communication, a key component of crisis management, is the gathering, managing and dissemination of information necessary to respond to a crisis situation. Such communication occurs before, during and after the crisis. This chapter uses crises to provide insights into how crisis communication is understood in Nigeria. A brief background of Nigeria provides a context for understanding humanism and crisis communication in the country. G. Hofstede’s dimensions of culture, particularly power distance and collectivism, are useful in describing the cultural dynamics of a multiethnic and multi-religious country such as Nigeria. Crisis communication in Nigerian culture is complicated by politics, ethnicity and religion. In spite of the success of the response to the Ebola virus, the Nigerian Government continues to face challenges in its crisis communication efforts and its effort to incorporate a humanistic approach to crisis response for a number of reasons: lack of trust, corrupt or ineffective leadership and selective application of laws, among others.