Field Notes

As I listened to the frustrations of the community organisations, I told them: impact and technical strength are not enough — without compliance, you won’t win grants. On the 30th of August 2025, I visited Orozo community, located after Kurudu in the AMAC area of FCT. The purpose of my visit was to hold a […]

During our recent participatory communication engagements in Lapai, Paikoro, Wushishi (Niger State) and Otukpo, Gboko, Oshongo (Benue State), spanning six rural communities in North-Central Nigeria, one message came through loud and clear: Rural women farmers prefer female agricultural extension workers. They shared that: Female extension workers can easily enter their homes, sit with them, and

Climate change is real, and its impact is hitting our most vulnerable populations the hardest, especially rural farmers. As a climate advocate and communicator, I believed I had a solid strategy to reach them. I was wrong. In November 2023, I designed a climate change awareness campaign targeting rural farmers in the Federal Capital Territory

When our M&E visit revealed that our climate communication failed to reach rural farmers in Kawu, Igu, and Zuma communities in Bwari, Abuja, we knew we had to change our approach, and we did. We dropped the digital graphics and social media buzz. We moved away from radio talk shows on 93.9 Jordan FM, Abuja.

Most climate and development interventions still rely on participation in development, a top-down approach disguised as inclusion. Donor systems reward speed over substance. Urban-based planners and project officers often underestimate the intelligence and lived realities of rural communities. Meanwhile, reporting frameworks prioritize checking boxes over building genuine, long-term relationships. The result? What scholars have described

As Project Lead at the Centre for Development Communication, since 2022, my team and I have led a climate change communication initiative where we deployed the Communication for Development (C4D) approach — a participatory strategy that promotes community-led dialogue, learning, and action on development issues. This approach enabled active participation and collaboration among multiple community-based

In my 15 years of community engagement, my experience in Ushafa community (Bwari Area Council, FCT-Abuja) stands out as one of the most challenging and eye-opening. It remains a lasting lesson — and a warning signal. In March 2025, I led a team to Ushafa for a participatory communication session on climate change mitigation and

When we launched our community-based family planning initiative under the Community Voice Project in Abaji Central Ward, FCT-Abuja, we entered the community armed with a well-crafted framework, technical expertise, and a robust health communication strategy. We were confident in our approach. But the reality on the ground quickly challenged that confidence. Our strategy failed. The

After engaging 120 participants across 6 Local Government Areas in Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, one thing became very clear: The biggest barrier to energy transition isn’t just infrastructure—it’s communication. Despite years of policies and projects, rural communities remain largely unaware or distrustful of energy transition initiatives. Why? 🔹 Most official messages are in English, not

The shift from Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) in our Community Justice Project has been nothing short of transformative. What began as an effort to address long-standing insecurity became a powerful journey of community empowerment, dialogue, and peacebuilding. For years, local authorities in Kogi State,