JAMS 13 (2) pp. 159–175 Intellect Limited 2021 Journal of African Media Studies Volume 13 Number 2 www.intellectbooks.com 159 © 2021 Intellect Ltd Article. English language. https://doi.org/10.1386/jams_00041_1 Received 10 October 2020; Accepted 22 January 2021 JACOB NYARKO University of Cape Coast MICHAEL YAO WODUI SERWORNOO University of Cape Coast BENEDINE AZANU Ghana Institute of Journalism Communication lapses to combating COVID-19 pandemic: Evaluating Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign ABSTRACT COVID-19 is described as ‘novel’ largely because the virus has rarely been stud- ied. Without any vaccine, the key to containing the virus was the timely deliv- ery of educative public health information to people. With a population of 29 million composed of small urban segments, Ghana has enormous rural enclaves where most of her citizens live. This study seeks to explore the nature of Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign, focusing on the communication strategies and the extent to which indigenous communication tools (ICTs) have been employed. Relying on document analysis, Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign rarely deployed ICTs but rather paid lip service to the country’s indigenous resources in public addresses to the nation. It also found that the fight against the virus metamorphosed into political KEYWORDS indigenous COVID-19 communication campaign political iconography education legacy media