Kukah Centre trains political parties’ managers to deepen democracy

The Kukah Centre, a policy research institute, has organised a development workshop for political parties to enhance pluralism, internal democracy and equal opportunity in Nigeria’s political party system.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kukah Centre is one of the organisations implementing six components of the European Union’s flagship governance programme known as the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).
The centre’s project is tagged “Component III-Support to Political Parties”.
Speaking at the end of the three-day event on Thursday in Lagos, Ms Inimfon Etuk, a Public Relation and Strategic Communications professional, said that political parties’ capacity must be built to develop purpose.
Etuk said that political parties in their campaigns, must discover ways to use interactive technology to encourage public participation.
She spoke on the topic; “Developing Enhanced Political Party Communication”.
“In the past, political campaigns were all about face-to-face interactions. Candidates would converge, shake hands and give speeches.
“In today’s evolving digital age, more and more campaigning is done online. Political communication is evolving, and some trends are here to stay.
“Effective political communication typically involves understanding the needs and wants of the audience and then tailoring the message to fit those needs,” she said.
According to Etuk, since the early 1990s, the most important change to the political communication process has occurred through the rise of the internet.
Etuk added, “The World Wide Web facilitates a virtually unlimited choice of information and communication one-to-one with a minimal role for gatekeepers or government censors.”(NAN)