Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUJA532
2006-03-06 11:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

UNICEF COMMUNICATION MEETING

Tags:  TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI 
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VZCZCXRO9036
OO RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0532/01 0651157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061157Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4808
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHFMISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHRO/UN MISSION ROME 0054
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ASD-HD//
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000532 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR OES NANCY POWELL
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP
USDA ALSO FOR APHIS
USAID REGIONAL HUB OFFICE ACCRA
CHERYL FRENCH APHIS DAKAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI
SUBJECT: UNICEF COMMUNICATION MEETING

REF: ABUJA 440

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000532

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR OES NANCY POWELL
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP
USDA ALSO FOR APHIS
USAID REGIONAL HUB OFFICE ACCRA
CHERYL FRENCH APHIS DAKAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI
SUBJECT: UNICEF COMMUNICATION MEETING

REF: ABUJA 440


1. SUMMARY: THE AVIAN INFLUENZA COMMUNICATION COMPONENT IS
FINALLY COMING TOGETHER AFTER WEEKS OF DELAY AND CONFUSION.
THE GON HAS APPROVED A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY, AND HAS
SCHEDULED WEEKLY MEETINGS FOR DONORS AT THE MINISTRY OF
INFORMATION AND NATIONAL REORIENTATION. FOUR PROPOSALS
APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT COMMITTEE ON
BIRD FLU IN NIGERIA WERE SUBMITTED TO DONORS AT A MARCH 3
MEETING CALLED BY UNICEF. END SUMMARY.


2. AFTER WEEKS OF DELAY AND CONFUSION, THE GON AND DONORS
HAVE FINALLY DEVISED A WORKING RELATIONSHIP ON COMMUNICATION
ISSUES. A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY HAS BEEN APPROVED AND
COMMUNICATION WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE OVERALL NATIONAL
STRATEGY ON AVIAN INFLUENZA ALONG WITH HEALTH AND
AGRICULTURE.


3. GON RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION TO
ITS OVERALL PLAN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF AVIAN FLU COMES AT
A TIME WHEN RUMORS, MISTRUST AND MISUNDERSTANDING ARE
GROWING. PRESS ARTICLES HAVE APPEARED INSINUATING THE
APPEARANCE OF THE DISEASE IS A WESTERN CONSPIRACY AS WAS THE
CASE WITH POLIO. POLITICAL MOTIVES ARE BEING ATTACHED TO
THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE AFFECTED AREAS OF THE OUTBREAK ARE
CONCENTRATED IN THE NORTH. MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF EATING CHICKEN IS A SERIOUS THEAT TO THE POULTRY
INDUSTRY.


4. UNICEF CALLED A DONORS MEETING ON MARCH 3 TO CONSIDER
FOUR PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL PUBLIC
ENLIGHTENMENT COMMITTEE ON BIRD FLU IN NIGERIA. ATTENDING
THE MEETING WERE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MINISTRY OF
INFORMATION, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH,
UNICEF, CDC, US EMBASSY (PAS),USAID (COMPASS),AND THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. THE PROPOSALS WERE PRESENTED AS THE
FIRST INSTALLMENT OF PROPOSALS TO IMPLEMENT THE
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY. THERE ARE MORE PROPOSALS IN THE
PIPELINE.


5. PROPOSAL ONE: MEETINGS WITH STATE COMMISSIONERS OF
INFORMATION AND STATE COMMISSIONERS OF HEALTH. THE
ESTIMATED COST OF EACH MEETING IS $31,000 EACH. THE
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE HAS ALREADY HELD A MEETING OF STATE
VETERINARY OFFICERS.


6. PROPOSAL TWO: SIX WORKSHOPS FOR PROFESSIONAL AND
COMMUNITY GROUPS:
-- INFORMATION/NATIONAL ORIENTATION OFFICERS - $50,000
-- JOURNALISTS - $50,000 (ADDED AT THE MEETING)
-- EDUCATION/NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHER OFFICIALS - $124,622
-- FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS - $178,175
-- TRADITIONAL AND OPINION LEADERS - $389,840
-- PAN AND LIVESTOCK EXTENSION WORKERS - $226,155


7. PROPOSAL THREE: PUBLICATIONS
-- POSTERS (3 TYPES),1,489, 500 COPIES IN LOCAL LANGUAGES -
$800,000
-- HANDBILLS (3 TYPES),2,979,000 COPIES " " " - $460,000
-- LEAFLETS (4 types),3,972,000 COPIES " " " - $184,000
-- TRANSLATION (3 LANGUAGES) - $5,000
-- DISTRIBUTION TO 37 STATES/FCT - $60,000


8. PROPOSAL FOUR: PRODUCTION OF TWO VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES
FOR THE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SPREAD OF
AVIAN INFLUENZA IN NIGERIA.
-- FACTUAL DOCUMENTARY - $265,000
-- DOCUDRAMA - $400,000
-- AIR TIME FOR BOTH - TBD


9. FUTURE PROPOSALS FROM THE NATIONAL PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT
COMMITTEE WILL INCLUDE PROPOSALS ON PRODUCTION OF JINGLES
AND RADIO AND TELEVISION SPOTS IN THREE LANGUAGE VERSIONS.



10. THE DONOR GROUP DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF RADIO,
INCLUDING THE VOICE OF NIGERIA, NIGERIA FARM RADIO NETWORK

ABUJA 00000532 002 OF 002


AND THE HAUSA SERVICES OF INTERNATIONAL STATIONS SUCH AS BBC
AND VOA IN GETTING MESSAGES TO THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) WILL PROPOSE A PROJECT
FOR PRE-TESTING, MONITORING AND EVALUATING MEDIA MESSAGES.
A WHO CONSULTANT WILL ADVISE ON INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.
AND THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT
CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO USING WORKERS IN UP-COMING
POLIO IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGNS TO DISTRIBUTE LEAFLETS AND
HANDBILLS.


11. NO DONOR WAS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE A FIRM COMMITMENT AT
THIS MEETING, BUT COMPASS, UNICEF, AND PAS EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTED MATERIALS.
PAS ALSO EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE PRODUCTION OF
DOCUMENTARIES.

CAMPBELL