International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Effective public relations (PR) and stakeholder engagement have become indispensable components of development interventions, particularly among donor-funded projects that depend on community participation, transparency, and sustained public support for successful implementation. In Nigeria, agricultural and rural development initiatives have increasingly adopted participatory communication approaches to improve project ownership and sustainability. Despite this growing emphasis, limited empirical evidence exists on how public relations strategies facilitate stakeholder engagement and project implementation within World Bank-supported agricultural development programmes, particularly the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project in Taraba State. Objectives: This study therefore investigated the public relations strategies employed by the L-PRES Project Implementation Unit in supporting project implementation and stakeholder engagement in Taraba State, Nigeria with particular focus on their influence on stakeholder awareness, trust, and participation, and explored the communication-related challenges encountered during project implementation. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative research design, employing In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Thirty-two purposively selected participants, comprising project officials, community leaders, and project beneficiaries, participated in the study. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Findings revealed that stakeholder engagement meetings, community outreach programmes, workshops, local media engagement, printed information materials, and the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) constituted the principal public relations strategies supporting project implementation. These strategies significantly enhanced stakeholder awareness, trust, participation, and collaboration. However, their effectiveness was constrained by low literacy levels, language barriers, irregular community engagement, and persistent communication gaps.
Conclusion: The study concludes that strategic public relations practices are critical to the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of donor-supported rural development initiatives. Effective stakeholder engagement strengthens trust, promotes community ownership, and enhances project outcomes.
Unique Contribution: The study extends development communication and public relations scholarship by providing empirical evidence on how dialogic, participatory, and excellence-oriented public relations practices facilitate stakeholder engagement and improve the implementation of donor-funded agricultural development projects in rural communities.
Key Recommendation: Project implementing agencies should institutionalise culturally sensitive, participatory, and continuous multi-channel communication strategies that strengthen stakeholder engagement, improve feedback mechanisms, and enhance community ownership throughout the project lifecycle.