Welcome to Field Notes — a space where the Centre for Development Communication shares insights and lessons from the field. Here, we document real experiences, community voices, and practical reflections that shape how development communication is understood and practiced.
In the last six years I have effectively engaged rural communities in Nigeria. My interactions with them revealed that climate change is a lived reality — not a technical issue. Changes in rainfall patterns, floods, heatwaves, and altered planting seasons are everyday disruptions the locals face and experience. Yet, the dominant climate response models ignore […]
Field Note: When Climate Action Ignores Indigenous Knowledge Read More »
In my study, “Analysis of Indigenous Communication Approaches for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation among Rural Farmers in FCT-Abuja, Nigeria,” published in the Lokoja Journal of Information Science Research, I examined six rural communities in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. At the rural farming community in Kawu, located in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT,
Field Note: How Rural Farmers in Abuja Are Adapting to Climate Change Read More »
In my recent study, published in the National Open University of Nigeria International Journal of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, I examined how participatory communication played a pivotal role in resolving the protracted farmers–herders conflict in Buruku, a rural community in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Using Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews
As part of my baseline research to design effective communication approaches that could enhance antenatal care among rural women in Nasarawa State, I engaged with women across three rural communities: Uke, Gbagalape, and Gidan Sakara. My field engagements revealed that participatory communication—where communities are not just informed but actively involved—has played a critical role in
When I facilitated a fieldwork exercise in Kawu Community of Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, a conflict emerged over the selection of participants for a scheduled Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The FGD was intended to gather community insights on indigenous communication approaches for climate change mitigation and adaptation among rural farmers, with particular
As part of our Indigenous Climate Action Network (ICAN) — a climate resilience initiative that deploys Indigenous communication approaches to listen, learn, and co-create context-appropriate adaptation and mitigation actions — I visited rural communities in the FCT to engage with women farmers and hear their lived experiences. Across Jiwa, Abaji, and Chikuku, a shared reality
In the last six years I have effectively engaged rural communities in Nigeria. My interactions with them revealed that climate change is a lived reality — not a technical issue. Changes in rainfall patterns, floods, heatwaves, and altered planting seasons are everyday disruptions the locals face and experience. Yet, the dominant climate response models ignore
Field Note: Climate Action Is Failing Because It Ignores Indigenous Knowledge Read More »
My baseline research explored how cultural and religious pluralism in North-Central Nigeria can be strengthened through participatory communication approaches. Field evidence from Benue and Plateau States demonstrates that when communities actively participate in dialogue and decision-making on issues affecting them, peaceful coexistence is more achievable—despite differences in cultural identities, belief systems, and religious practices. In
On the 13th of August, 2025, I was invited by a local NGO, Community Voice for Rural Development, to facilitate a capacity-building training held at Basley Hotel Kubwa, Close to General Hospital, in Bwari Area Council of the FCT-Abuja. The training focused on strengthening communication practices that can drive genuine community development. The session brought
Field Note: When Community Leaders Wept Over Communication Practices Read More »
Buji Local Government in Jigawa State offers a practical example of how citizen-centred communication can transform governance. By involving residents in discussions on local policies, priorities, and resource allocation, Buji has become a model reference of democracy communication—facilitating participatory governance beyond elections. What is Democracy Communication? It is a citizen-centred approach to governance that places