When the Drum Beats: Radio Drama as a Vehicle for Behaviour Change in Climate Change Adaptation amongst Rural Small Holder Farmers: Abstract

"The aim of our In Kidiya Chanza (When the Drum Beats) project was to evaluate the efficacy of radio drama in strengthening the capacity of small-holder farmers to adapt to climate change in Northern Nigeria."

The focus of this presentation for the International SBCC Summit 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 8-10, is on radio drama for capacity strengthening in Nigeria.

From the abstract:
"In rural Northern Nigeria, farmers have long faced the ravages of desertification and crop failure as a result of climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices. Changes to agricultural practice proposed by experts, extension workers and educational campaigns have been frequently met with opposition and an unwillingness to modify long held behaviours and ancestral practices related to agriculture. For thousands of farmers, this has resulted in food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, poverty and the associated sequelae. Radio entertainment has long been considered the most far-reaching and widespread forms of mass media in Nigeria. The aim of our In Kidiya Chanza (When the Drum Beats) project was to evaluate the efficacy of radio drama in strengthening the capacity of small-holder farmers to adapt to climate change in Northern Nigeria. Our project sought to find out whether story-telling in form of a radio drama could succeed in changing long-held agricultural traditions and behaviours, and trigger small holder farmers to take the risk of adopting new agricultural practices that could affect their livelihoods.

Key Highlights:
Data analysis from respondents, ages ranging from 16-60 years, revealed that the radio drama was able to positively influence the adoption of evidence-based climate change adaptation strategies, particularly when drama was supplemented by support groups such as listeners’ clubs. Project Implications: This project shows that radio drama has the capacity to overcome long-held traditions and practices and stimulate real behaviour change when it is entertaining, of high quality, informative and relevant to their needs."