The final objective is a propaganda campaign sufficient to saturate the Nigerian media with positive references to birth control. Such a psychological warfare drive, it is reasoned, will eventually demoralise those religious, traditional and political leaders who oppose outside intervention into the lives of their compatriots. By mounting a sustained media campaign, carefully crafted to influence the expectations and values of the public, a false impression is created. Once people believe the illusion, they behave accordingly. False perceptions, in fact, can influence people far more than any number of messages and endorsements, no matter how sophisticated.
People can counter messages.
It is far more difficult to erase perceptions. And that, in short, is the purpose and the ultimate victory of psychological war. Given the fact that the primary objective of this particular communications offensive is to depopulate Nigeria, its implications become all the more treacherous. The school is indeed more deadly than the gun. And in recent years, it has reached new levels of deadliness.