By Abasi Ita
A communication expert has called for the adoption of participatory approaches to transform climate awareness into concrete grassroots action across African communities.
The recommendation was made by Professor Mina Ogbanga of Rivers State University during a presentation titled From Awareness to Action: Scaling Grassroots Climate Resilience through Participatory Communication in Africa, delivered during the maiden International Communication Association (ICA) Nigerian Regional Chapter conference held at Nile University, Abuja
Ogbanga ,who is the Head, Department of Social Works, Rivers State University noted that while awareness campaigns on climate change are widespread across the continent, they have largely failed to translate into sustained local action.
“Africa faces accelerating climate impacts such as droughts, floods, shifting rainfall patterns and declining agricultural productivity, yet awareness alone is not enough to drive change,” she said.
She explained that bridging the gap between awareness and action requires communication strategies that actively involve communities in decision making and solution development.
“Participatory communication creates room for dialogue, co creation and local ownership, which are critical for sustainable climate action,” she added.
The study examined communication approaches used by non governmental organisations and social workers in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. It found that participatory methods such as storytelling, community theatre, local language radio programmes and youth driven digital campaigns significantly improved community engagement and adoption of climate adaptation practices.
Highlighting findings from Kenya, Ogbanga said, “About 78 percent of participants adopted at least one adaptive practice, including rainwater harvesting and crop diversification, while yields increased by an estimated 30 percent.”
She further noted that in Ghana, “community theatre and local radio dramas helped increase awareness of coastal climate risks and stimulated community led mangrove restoration efforts that also support livelihoods.”
Speaking on youth engagement in South Africa, she stated, “We observed that 65 percent of participants reported increased leadership capacity, and within three months, many had organised local clean up and conservation activities.”
The research identified key factors driving success, including the use of trusted local influencers, culturally relevant communication channels, community involvement in message creation, and linking climate actions to economic benefits.
According to Ogbanga, “Top down messaging often fails, but when communities are involved in shaping the message, they are more likely to act on it.”
She proposed a four stage communication framework to scale grassroots resilience, including community led needs assessment, co creation of messages, multi channel dissemination through trusted networks, and continuous feedback for improvement and policy advocacy.
She urged policymakers to integrate grassroots communication into national climate strategies and provide sustained funding for locally driven initiatives.
“Governments and funders must support long term, flexible investments in participatory communication if we are to see real behavioural change,” she said.
Despite limitations such as reliance on qualitative data and NGO reports, Ogbanga maintained that participatory approaches remain essential.
“Culturally grounded communication, driven by communities themselves, is key to converting awareness into sustained action and building climate resilience across Africa,” she concluded.