The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) is set to present the outcome of its eight-year advocacy communication programme on family planning in Kaduna and Kano states.
The dRPC advocacy programme, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), developed a localised advocacy communication programme on family planning with models and strategies responsive to the cultural context of the two states between 2015 and 2023.
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The findings are to be presented alongside 12 other case studies across the African continent in a book titled “Communication and Social Change in Africa: Selected Case Studies.”
The book, published by the Institute of Network Cultures, will be launched virtually on Friday.
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The book, drawing from 13 selected cases across Africa, delves into the relationship between communication, media, culture and social change to explore how communication is reshaping the future of the continent.
It also examines other initiatives across Africa, including youth disability advocacy in Tanzania, ethical tensions and conflicts with healthcare workers in Malawi, and mental health promotion.
The book, with contributions from 22 researchers, is edited by Manfred Asuman, an assistant professor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Canada; Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey of the Durban University of Technology, South Africa; and Modestus Fosu, of the University of Media, Arts and Communication, Institute of Journalism in Accra, Ghana.
Contributors to the book are dRPC’s executive director Judith-Ann Walker, Kareem Abdulrasaq, Khadijat Adedeji-Olona, Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, Bukola Christiana Ajala, George Kwabena Asamoah, Kwabena Badu-Yeboah, Catalin Brylla, Andrew Chimpololo, Africanus Lewil Diedong, and Abena Kyeraa Duah.
Others are: Emmanuel Essel, Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Anthea Garman, Eliza Govender, Mary Kamwaza, Hassan Aliyu Karofi, Kings Ferrels Kondowe, Johanna Mack, Flemmings Fishani Ngwira, Toyosi Olugbenga Sam- son Owolabi, Rose Reuben, Noeem Taiwo Thanny, and Stanley Ukpai.
Background to the project
In 2015, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sought to influence policy change in the family planning landscape in Nigeria by engaging a local civil society organisation, the dRPC.
The dRPC was engaged to develop a localised advocacy communication programme with models and strategies responsive to the cultural context of states such as Kaduna and Kano in Northern Nigeria.
Findings from a review of the eight-year experience of the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH, 2015-2017) and the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale (PAS, 2017-2022) programmes, both challenge and confirm key prescriptions in the Western advocacy communication literature.
READ ALSO: dRPC, partners to launch book reviewing advocacy communication and social change
Findings also call for a new approach to advocacy communication in resource-constrained African programming contexts where the local advocate becomes a resource for sustainable change.
Most importantly, the findings highlight the need for a deeper examination of issues related to messaging and communication in advocating for change, rather than focusing on what needs to be changed in advocacy communication within the African context.
PREMIUM TIMES is on the ground to provide live updates of the event scheduled to commence by 2:30 p.m.
2:50 p.m: The programme of the day is about to begin. Speakers and participants are already seated. While some are present physically at the dRPC’s office in Abuja, others, including the editors of the book, joined virtually.
2:54 p.m.: Students of the Faculty of Media and Communications studies at Bingham University also gathered at a university hall to participate virtually. Communications Lecturer at Nile University, Abuja, Yakubu Suleiman, a professor, is also at the dRPC office to attend the launch of the book.
The event begins proper by 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m: Stanley Ukpai, the Director of Projects at dRPC and facilitator of today’s event, kicks off the programme with the introduction of the book, “Communication and Social Change in Africa: Selected Case Studies”.
He commended the authors and editors for their contribution to the book.
He also appreciated the McArthur Foundation for its support in organising the event.
Speakers and participants at the event
3:05 p.m: Mr Ukpai introduced the editors of the book; Manfred Asuman, Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, and Modestus Fosu.
3:07 p.m: One of the editors of the book, Manfred Asuman, said conversations around communications and media work are determined and focused on the global north.
3:10 p.m: Mr Asuman, one of the editors of the book, explained that the book is divided into three chapters. He listed them as Communications, Social Action and Social Change; Concept of Communication in Africa; Communication, Alternative Media and Social Change.
He said the initial idea was to have about 40-50 chapters on communications in Africa but had to reduce it to 12-15 chapters, divided into three parts.
3:17 p.m: Ms Adjin-Tettey, another editor of the book, said the idea of the book began around 2022 when she met Mr Asuman at a media development conference in Nairobi, where they were both the only two scholars from West Africa.
3:21 p.m: Ms Adjin-Tettey said even though they could have written the book themselves, they thought about getting other African scholars to bring diversity of voices to the book.
3:23 p.m: She said the scholars were particularly interested in diversity, including making sure that voices from Portugal-speaking African countries were featured.
3:24 p.m: She noted that they got close to 40 authors in the book but some authors didn’t meet up with the editorial guidelines and timelines of the project. She said the book is published by the Institute of Network Cultures at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
“We have it available online for free,” she said.
3:26 p.m: She expressed appreciation to the dRPC, contributors, co-editors, the publisher and page designer.
3:31 p.m: The Director of Communications and Partnerships at dRPC, Hassan Karofi, presents the findings in one of the chapters titled “Advocacy Communication for Family Planning Policy Change in A Gates Foundation Funded Programme in Northern Nigeria; The Experience of The Partnership for Advocacy In Child And Family Health 2015-2023″
The chapter was written by Judith-Ann Walker, Stanley Ukpai, Hassan Aliyu Karofi and Kareem Abdulrasaq.
He said the chapter chronicles the experience of dRPC in implementing this project of influencing government policy and commitment to implement policies for social change.
3:35 p.m: Mr Karofi said the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) was a pioneering public health advocacy programme that sought to encourage existing maternal health policies and advance family planning conversations in Kano and Kaduna, two conservative societies that traditionally shy away from direct discussions on family planning.
3:37 p.m: He said one of the communication initiatives used to initiate change was shifting from referring to the phenomenon as ‘family planning’ to advocating for ‘child-spacing.’
3:38 p.m: He explained that the study found that advocacy communication for family planning in Kano reveals that consistent government allocation for FP led to increased use of modern contraceptives and stable maternal death rates during intervention years.
“Conversely, Kaduna faced unreliable funding and no dedicated FP budget, resulting in a 66 per cent rise in maternal death rates,” he said.
3:50 p.m: Catalin Brylla, a principal lecturer at Bournemouth University, presents findings from the “Communicative interfaces for social change in Tanzania”. Other contributors are Dan Jackson, Mike Sunderland and FIlippo Trevisan.
3:52 p.m: Mr Brylla explained how the Youth Disability Advocacy and Research Network (YDAR) facilitates communication among activists, academics, advocacy organisations, and disability networks to challenge disability stigma and drive policy and practice changes that have historically marginalised youth with disabilities in Tanzania.
3:54 p.m: He listed the approaches to include advocacy festival for exchange of ideas, and workshop on using media for advocacy. He also noted a campaign using music videos by an artist with vision impairment.
3:55 p.m: Through the project, he said young activists gained advocacy, media and leadership skills.
4:12 p.m: Abena Kyeraa Duah present findings on “Conceptual Map Of Communication Patterns Of Traditional Akan Institutions— Extending The Indigenous Communications Literature”
4:14 p.m: Ms Kyeraa Duah said the chapter examines the traditional political system of the Akan people in Ghana as a case study to identify key conceptual areas of communication that scholars can explore to enrich communication scholarship with indigenous African practices, symbols, modes, genres, and speech acts.
4:16 p.m: She said communication scholarship did not take into account how social changes affect indigenous communication.
4:20 p.m: Ms Kyeraa Duah ends her presentation.
4:29 p.m: It is time for the Questions and answers session.
4:34 p.m: Question: What are the challenges encountered in advocating for policy change and how they were addressed during the dRPC project?
4:35 p.m: Mr Karofi explained that their project used local CSOs who understand indigenous communications and channels to approach policy targets.
4:36 p.m: He noted that it was easy for the local individuals to coordinate meetings with some political leaders than organisation outside the locality who rely on formal communications before a meeting is planned.
“These are some of the ways that advocates use to go over these challenges,” he said.
4:39 p.m: Speaking virtually, Gifty Appiah-Adjei of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of Education, Winneba, praised the decolonisation of communication studies, highlighting the representation of unique cultures and nuances.”
4:40 p.m: She said it is important that African stories compete with stories from the global north. “I am happy Africa is telling Africa’s stories and it is being done by scholars who are in tune with Africa’s story,” she said
4:45 p.m: Speaking at the event, Desmond Okocha of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Bingham University, Nigeria, said he is excited about the paradigm shift in communications studies. Mr Okocha explained that over 60 of their students and faculty members participated virtually.
“It is important for African voices to emerge,” adding that “It is emerging from across the continent, cutting across the various blocs of the continent.”
4:47 p.m: He encouraged scholars and policy makers in development communication to adopt the textbook as a key text to collaborate theoretical issues in development communication and social behaviour change.
4:48 p.m: He noted that the book brought together practitioners and academics, making it a community of practice narrative which he said is “beautiful”.
4:51 p.m: Aurelia Ayisi of the Department of Communication Studies, University of
Ghana congratulated the authors and editors. Ms Ayisi noted the richness of the diversity of the contents of the book.
4:53 p.m: She said it is an important collection and addition to scholarship on the continent, noting that it is on her reading list for the communications course at her university next semester.
“It’s a bold testament to the role of communication in Africa’s development,” she said.
4:58 p.m: Tigere Muringa of the Department of Media, Language and Communication, Durban University of Technology, South Africa also spoke. Mr Muringa said the book is very crucial, particularly on the approach that centres on African voices.
5:00 p.m: He suggested the integration of the book into journalism curriculum across universities on the continent.
“Within the South African colleagues, the book will be of much relevance. I suggest that the book be integrated into the curriculum in universities,” he said.
5:03 p.m: As the event comes to an end, the facilitator, Mr Ukpai, appreciated dRPC and the MacArthur foundation for their support in organising the event. He also appreciated speakers and participants.
The event ended at 5:05 pm with a group photograph.
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