Nutrition: MeCAM Coordinator Urges CSOs to Optimize ICT Tools

Mr. Remmy Nweke, National Coordinator of the Media Centre Against Child Malnutrition (MeCAM Nigeria), has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to optimize the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools in communicating nutrition in the country.

Speaking at the first quarterly capacity building of the Lagos State chapter of the Civil Society on Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) hosted by the Communication Team, Mr. Nweke said that optimizing ICT tools in this era has become imperative.

Nweke who dwelt on “Overview of Communicating Nutrition & Social Media Best Practices in Nigeria” described communication as an act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules.

Stressing that the main steps inherent to all communication are the formation of communicative motivation or reason, message composition and encoding.

“Any message conveyed but not understood has not be fully optimized for service delivery,” he said.

In addition, Nweke said that CSOs must ensure their communication for nutrition must be structured to be impact on the receipts and their immediate communities.

Also, Nweke, who is the Editor-in-chief of ITREALMS Media pointed out that communication must be impactful and this could be achieved by way of exchanging right and accurate information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium, such as Television (TV) and nowadays the Internet which are also effective tools for communication.

Nowadays, he noted that communications is a means of sending or receiving information, such as via phone lines or computers which are largely via satellite communications because they are transmitted technically.

“Primary communications cuts across verbal, non-verbal and written, and nowadays involves coding and decoding, thereby paving the way for social media tools for communications,” he said.

The ITREALMS Media boss counselled CSOs at the event held at CeliaPenny Foundational Hall, Ikeja-Lagos, to always apply some best practices in 21st century in their communications strategies.

Some of these best practices, Nweke outlined to include the use of simple language and always re-checking of the content to be published.

“Graphic content is a great ally for better interaction, and develop original, quality and useful content,” he advised.

CSOs, he said, must investigate the hours when their contacts and followers connect most and are utmost active in order to optimize their communications and messages.

“Use the appropriate social networks for each content. Each network has its own personality,” he declared.

Earlier, the chapter coordinator of CS-SUNN, Dr. Modupe Akinyinka underscored the importance of the capacity building for members to boost their engagement with stakeholders especially in Lagos despite its malnutrition records in order to continuously reduce the impact of lack of nutrition and associated social ills.

Reminding participants that the vision of CS-SUNN is to have a country where every citizen has food and is nutrition secured.

The Communications Team of the chapter led by Remmy Nweke includes Mrs Julie Ekong, Mr. Sam Akinyode and Mr. Lanre Olotu.