See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/272339571

Communicating climate change in Africa through the theatre for

development process

Article  in  Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management · October 2012

DOI: 10.4314/ejesm.v5i4.S1

CITATIONS READS

5 219

2 authors, including:

Faith Ekong
University of Uyo
8 PUBLICATIONS   25 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

development control and urban planning View project

coastal planning and management View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Faith Ekong on 06 November 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

COMMUNICATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA THROUGH THE THEATRE FOR

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
NDA, U.S.1 and *EKONG, F.U.2
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v5i4.S1

Received 7th July 2012; accepted 7th September 2012

Abstract
The reality of climate change has started dawning on various parts of the world. The depletion of
the ozone layer through over-heating of the atmosphere, actions and inactions of humans, has
resulted in the thawing of the ice at the polar regions, which has caused the overflow of oceanic
waters leading to massive floods in hitherto dry places and causing destruction of lives of
persons and animals, infrastructure and the disruption of services essential for human existence
and continuity. Such has been the effect of climate change that global and local measures need
to be enunciated, agreed upon and implemented, in the bid to save the planet earth. These
measures can only succeed if the humans are made to appreciate the gravity of the situation.
The understanding is that humans need to be sensitized and people mobilized in a mass effort to
reverse the trend. And the theatre for development methodology is recommended as a most
dependable model of communication and mass mobilization process. And as the least of the
continents in the technology drive, Africa presents itself as the most vulnerable in the event of a
global disaster. This paper examines this issue and proposes how the theatre for development
model of communication could be utilized in sensitizing the populace on the danger it portends.
The enunciations shall also be influenced by the outcome of a practical theatre for development
activity embarked upon by these researchers as lecturers in theatre arts and environmental
planning.
Keywords: Climate change, Environment, Communication, Development process, Theatre arts,
Africa

Introduction and accepted by over 100 countries, though

The past decade has witnessed some of them are yet to fully ratify its
deterioration in the climatic situation of the provisions.
world. The call for responsible consumption of Apart from these efforts at the global
the resources of nature and a safer handling of level, local seminars and workshops have been
the globe by its human constituents was held in various countries and their component
erroneously viewed by some, especially in the regions and states, to popularize the message
developing world, as a western ploy to of safer environment. For instance Nda (2007)
dissuade them from exploiting their natural noted that in most developing countries the
resources and the bid by the west to sell their impact of these conferences has not gone
products. beyond the media noise about the protocols of
The various conferences on the the events. Not much has been done beyond
environment have been global efforts to focus the rhetoric and enunciations that are
attention of people on the general problem of generated during such conferences. Even at
environmental degradation and the danger it the local, states (provinces) and national
portends for humanity. These Conferences levels, where they were aimed at gingering
have all striven to inculcate in citizens of the responsible environmental behaviours, they
world the need to keep the global environment have turned out to be more of ceremonials like
continuously safe for human habitation and annual tree-planting campaigns and World
continuity. The Bruntland Commission Environment Day Celebrations. Appreciable
(1987), an international blueprint on efforts have not been made in the process of
environmental responsibility, was proposed popularizing tree planting culture and in

1 437
Department of Theatre Arts, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
2
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of
Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
 Communicating Climate Change in Africa through............Nda & Ekong EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

entrenching environmental safety and the careless consumption and utilization

consciousness in the citizenry. of the facilities of nature, which has hardened
Umukoro (2011), in ‘Beginning of the into a ticking bomb about to explode, if
End?’ reports how the residents of Beebe town nothing is done urgently to dissuade humanity
in Arkansas, USA, woke up on the first day of from careless consumptions and usages.
2011 to discover thousands of blackbirds According to Oyebanjo (2010)
‘littering their backyards, streets and walk climate change is made possible by the
ways’ (1999). He further reports how Kayode increase in the atmospheric
Yemitan, acting Head, Department of concentration of Green House Gases
Pharmacology, Lagos State University, Lagos, (GHG) such as Carbon iv oxide (CO2),
has explained it as the outcome of climate Nitrous Oxide (NO2), Methane (CH4),
change, warning that Nigeria should brace up Hydroflourcarbon (HFC), Pefluocarbon
for its own experience. Yemitan is further (PFC), and Sulfourhexaflouride (SF6).
reported to have added that the accumulation All these gases absorb terrestrial
of green house gases ‘released majorly via radiations.
industrial activities ... have been pointed out There has been some debate as to the
by scientists as the chief cause of global human contribution to climate change. Some
warming or climate change’(1999). The same argue that the problems are entirely natural- an
report cites Akinbode Oluwafemi, of the act of God, having no human contribution and
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the would therefore demand no human effort in
Earth, Nigeria, as stating that the process of controlling it. To such school of
one thing is clear, the only thing that thought, it could be God’s visitation on the
could have been killing birds midair is sins of mankind or a mere happenstance that
as a result of some chemicals that have will correct itself as God deems fit. But
been injected into the atmosphere scientific explanations have cast aspersions on
through human industrial such explanations, and have rightly viewed the
activities.(1992) occurrence for what it is: a result of the
He also cites the corrosion of roofs in careless habits of man that can only be
Nigeria’s Niger Delta region as evidence that ameliorated by man through God’s guidance.
the chemicals in the atmosphere are EduGreen (2000) holds that what the
‘endangering the living mammals up there (in world is more worried about is that changes
the sky)’ (1992). that are occurring today have been sped up
The problem of climate change is one of because of man’s activities. It also mentions
the fall-outs of environmental degradation. other factors responsible for climate change as
The Wikipedia (2010) defines climate change ‘continental shifts, volcanoes, ocean currents,
as: the earth’s tilt, and comets and meteorites’.
a long term change in the statistical But it also lists human causes as
distribution of weather patterns over industrialization and the production of
periods of time that range from decades greenhouse gases.
to millions of years. It may be a change
in the average weather conditions or a Climate Change and Africa
change in the distribution of weather It is erroneous to hold the view that since
events with respect to an average, for Africa is not as industrialized as America and
example, greater or fewer extreme Europe, it needs not worry about the adverse
weather events. Climate change may be effect of climate change. It is a bitter irony
limited to a specific region or may occur that Africa which contributes least of all
across the whole earth. continents to climate change, will probably
It could rightly be said that climate change is a suffer most from its consequences. It sounds
product of numerous acts of environmental like a case of the neighbour’s stew causing
irresponsibility by man. It is an outcome of breathing problems to other neighbours. It
man’s unfriendly treatment of the environment may not be entirely so. For even though Africa

438
 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

does not experience the level of African roads are filled with cars that ooze
industrialization that could be seen in greenhouse gases with reckless abandon. This
America, Europe and some parts of Asia, writer notes that in his years of initiation into
some of the habits of some native African urbanisation, one learnt that vehicles with
communities are in themselves great great smoking propensity were banned from
contributions to global warming and climate plying the roads. But after many years of
change. living in the urban centres, one has hardly ever
In many African communities today for heard of, nor seen anyone charged with the
example, a farmland can only be good enough offence of plying the roads with such public-
for planting after the bush has been burnt. It is inconveniencing vehicles. Africa is beset with
possible to see great pockets of smoke a reckless procreation habit that unwittingly
emitting from African farmlands in the early increases the population thereby causing a
part of the planting season. And some of such great strain on the environment. High
bush burning exercises sometimes backfire to population has caused a great strain on land
the extent that houses and public institutions resources making people cultivate on
are sometimes destroyed through the straying communal reserves and erosion-prone sites
action of such fires, as the bush burners (Ernest et al., 2010). People now indulge in
themselves have no knowledge of modern activities like excavation of sand on erosion-
fire-fighting techniques. Apart from bush prone sites and slopes of streams.
burning, the great oil flaring going on Population growth has been cited as one
Nigeria’s Niger- Delta and some other African of the causes of the stress on the environment
oil producing locations, are also contributions (UNDP, 2006, NDES, 2000 and Edugreen,
to global warming. 2007). Edugreen (2007) for instance, asserted
The Nigerian government once set a that because the land area available for
dateline on which oil-producing companies agriculture is limited (and in fact, is usually
should stop gas flaring for 2008 (NCA, 2003), shrinking as a result of ecological
but that dateline has long past and up to the degradation), high-yielding varieties of crop
time of this writing, gas is still seriously and are being grown to increase agricultural output
brazenly flared in the Niger- Delta without any from a given area of land. However, such
declared sanctions. No new dateline has been high-yielding varieties of crops as noted by
set and no known effort is made to enforce the (Ekong et al., 2007) require large quantities of
‘no-flaring’ ban except for Vision 2020 (FGN, fertilizers, and more fertilizers mean more
2009). Besides, the nation looses great emissions of nitrous oxide, both from the field
revenue as a result of this reckless action of its into which it is put and the fertilizer industry
oil-producing companies. that makes it.
Oyebanjo (2010) and NCA, 2003 stressed Many Africans cities are very poor in
that though Nigeria’s figure in terms of tonne refuse disposal. Sometimes, the public gutters
of carbon/person/year as been put at 0.1 for are so stuffed with refuse that rain water finds
2001 the nation’s environmental observance it difficult to find directed courses to go
seem to be too poor. Other researchers, through, thereby finding paths for itself into
Earthlab (2007) and UNDP (2006) hold that roads and sometimes human homes. Most
the burning and clearing of tropical forest is a urban dwellers after waiting in vain for public
major source of greenhouse gas emissions. It refuse disposal vans, burn their wastes,
accounts for roughly 16 percent of total gas releasing carbon gases into the atmosphere
emissions, more than all of the world’s cars, and compounding the problems of the
trucks, ships, trains and planes combined. It is environment.
now generally recognised that it will be Unfortunately, Africa is very poor in
impossible to achieve any of the needed technology. Apart from the Republic of South
targets for mitigating climate change without Africa, with some appreciable level of
significantly curbing the clearing and burning technological development, most African
of tropical forest. countries are very poor in technological

439
 Communicating Climate Change in Africa through............Nda & Ekong EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

usages. The continent, though not rated as The theatre for development makes
high as the others in acts that have contributed provision for the communal creation of the
to climate change, stands a great risk of being story to be performed, the acting of the story
most affected by an onslaught arising from by the people themselves, the employment of
climate change. Others could do one or two improvisational creation of the dialogue by the
things in reaction to a disaster in order to save actors and actresses, the performance of the
its citizens which Africa may not be capable rehearsed play before a live audience,
of doing. Rather than contribute to an discussions on the problems put forward
aggravation of the situation, Africa should be through the play and a communal agreement
at the forefront in terms of environmental to implement the agreed provisions. These
advocacy, as it does not possess the inherent provisions make the medium the most
technology to take care of its citizens, even in democratic of the media of communication
the interim, in case of disaster. This paper open to man. Moreover, the theatre for
therefore aimed at filling this gap by development methodology according to Zakes
proposing an environmental communication (1993) is not centralised like the technological
method using the theatre for development media, and is capable of integrating
whereby this message can be carried to all indigenous and popular systems of
parts of Africa and indeed the entire world. communication that already exist in the rural
areas. It has appropriate technology, since all
Utilization of Theatre for Development in it needs is human resources, which are
Communicating the Problem of Climate plentiful in the villages. In an earlier theatre
Change for development project in Ikot Ayan Itam in
The theatre for development also known Nigeria (Nda, 2007) made use of Ibibio folk-
as community theatre is the ultimate in the arts songs by pupils of the local primary school in
utilization process. It arises out of passing messages of environmental safer/ best
development communication with the sole practices to the people, before the main play
intention of giving back the theatre to the by the people of the community.
people for them to use in communicating Organization and Planning
among themselves, and with others, discussing The proposal used in this study is based on
and proffering suggestive means of creating (Nda, 2007) where the community theatre
better situations for human thrive and project was successfully used to create
continuity. According to Goran Hedebro awareness on the state of the environment in
(1982), one of the major questions in Ikot Ayan Itam, Itu Local Government Area,
development communication studies today Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A community
concerns how communication can be theatre project should be well-planned before
organised so as to increase participation, execution. The project could be undertaken by
achieve self-reliance, promote equity, and a non-governmental organization, a
close communication gaps. performing group or a performance-related
A close observation of the mode of department in an institution of higher learning.
operation of the formal media-radio, Consultations with the Community
television, film and print media, reveal a After the target community has been
glaring lack of feedback, which is very chosen, and the personnel chosen as well, the
important in the communication process. team has to establish contact with the
Zakes (1993) one of the leading African community. The first stage of the consultation
voices in the theatre communication process should be with the leadership of the village.
reports of a growing concern among Where the village community also has a
communication researchers that existing caretaker committee in addition to the village
media systems have failed to serve the needs head, it would be expedient to consult both. It
of development in Africa. The failure is due will be after meeting with these persons that
mostly to the undemocratic structures of the the team can fix a date for the meeting with
media institutions. the entire community.

440
 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

Meeting with the Community presenting nearly-same meanings when

During the meeting with the community, employed in the production dialogue.
the team leader or the project leader has to The play should have a straight storyline
clearly state the aim of the project. The with very few sub-plots, so as not to confuse
community must be told what the project will the audience. The plot should be based on
demand of them. A volunteer performance cause-to-effect contrivance (which) can ensure
group could be raised out of this initial an enfolding of dramatic action (Nda: 2010).
meeting and another day fixed for the We recommend that the plot of the play
assemblage of these volunteers on a day not should be allowed to unfold gradually, and
very far from the initial meeting. The project that there should be a monumental conflict
leader should tell the community what he has that creates a ‘bang effect’ which reverberates
observed as the major climate change and throughout the play.
governance problems of the community. Casting
Meeting with the volunteer performance Although some theatre for development
group programmes have used outside actors and
The first meeting with the village actresses, it is best for the process to make use
volunteer performance group is very crucial to of actors and actresses from the community as
the project. The project leader has to repeat the a means of ensuring communal ownership of
goal of project and the processes it is expected the product. A project of this nature needs to
to go through. He would set the pace for the be owned by the people to be believed, and its
creation of the scenario or allow the group to findings implemented. That is the hallmark of
handle the entire scenario setting. The set a development play production of this nature.
scenario should embody the facts about the It could be found out that among the
community’s peculiar and general climatic and volunteers could be persons who have had
political problems. The environmental experiences in acting in schools and churches.
consultant has to be present to ensure that the In a communal casting process, persons would
facts as they will be used in the scenario are be given roles based on their previous roles in
correct. The team leader has to be vigilant to some past performance. Africa is a highly
ensure that issues that are not in keeping with artistic continent whose rituals and ceremonies
public decency and references to communal of the traditional state are regularly performed.
clashes as well as aspersions on other Rehearsals
communities are entirely kept out of the After the scenario of the play has been set
production. and the casting successfully done, the
Scripting production now has to enter into the rehearsals
That meeting should discuss the scenario of stage. An improvisational work might not
the production. It would be best if the need more than three to four weeks of
production adopts an improvisational rehearsals. Each rehearsal period should not be
approach. There should be no script. The overstretched more than three to four hours. In
dialogue should be dependent on the an earlier work, this writer (Nda: 2007) warns
improvisational ability of the actors and that
actresses. Where the actors and actresses do The management of the attention span of
not have the appropriate words to carry the amateur actors who are more or less
facts of the play, there should be a resort to the local volunteers demands level-
usage of near-expressions. For instance, in headedness from whoever is directing
Ibibio ethnic nationality of Nigeria, and in the production. The rehearsals period
Ibibio language, there is no direct translation should not be stretched beyond
for words like ‘environment, climate, ozone reasonable duration... in an integrative
layer’, etc and short expressions in the production where there is a full-length
language that resembles environment, is play, a dance-drama and a choral
capable of meaning ‘surrounding’. But the use performance, the director could then
of expressions that explain them are capable of

441
 Communicating Climate Change in Africa through............Nda & Ekong EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

rehearse separately until a few days this in mind while fixing the date for the
before public performance. public performance. He should do this in
partnership with the leadership of the
The rehearsals should not be a dictatorial community. It should be kept away from days
affair between the director and the cast, as it of the community market and should not be
happens in many professional theatres. The allowed to clash with important ceremonies
director should mix persuasion and like the burial of an important indigene, etc.
assertiveness. Heffner (1973) holds that a Diction
good director should be ‘a good manager, The performance should be based on the
teacher and leader ...his job is not merely to language that the people would popularly
interpret a play but also handle people, induce understand. Some communities are good in the
them to work together’. Yells, curses, and speaking and understanding of pidgin English.
screams, mannerisms associated with most Where the local language or dialect is spoken
directors must be kept off. by the entire community, it should be
Venue employed.
The choice of the venue would determine Use of Technical Elements
whether the production will be staged in a Some persons have suggested that
proscenium, a two-sided audience seated community theatre performances should be
theatre, a thrust or three-quarter arena or a devoid of costumes and other mis-un-scene
pure arena. In the traditional performance elements like lighting. It should be noted that
setting, Africans are used to performances the African traditional performances are great
where both the audience completely surround sights in colour and spectacle. African
the dancers and drummers as in most non- masquerades and performances are always
institutional male/female dance troupes or the gorgeously costumed. Therefore to take a
three quarter arena/thrust stage where the performance to a village, without costumes
drummers sit at one end of the arena with the could be seen as something unserious, which
performers in front of them in a thrust-like would hardly attract attention.
large orchestra pit. But the modern African Concerning lighting, these writers are of
performance system seems to have introduced the opinion that it should only be kept off
a new venue where most of the performances where the performance is taking place in a
are done on the proscenium or picture-frame village square and in the daytime. But where
stage. This is a carry-over from the early the performance is taking place in an in-door
church concerts, school concerts and village venue, bringing in some form of lighting
youth club recreational performances through would intensify the illumination for good
which the profession of theatre crept into most sighting and would also procure some added
African nations. This writer does not want to aesthetic value to the performance.
prescribe a venue for the climate The performance
change/political awareness campaign. Where The performance proper should start with
the director decides to use an arena or three- brief comments by the project leader. In his
quarter arena setting, he has to direct the play opening comments, the project leader should
in such a way that the audience members on inform the audience to hold themselves ready
the sides of the stage are not cheated. He has to participate in a frank discussion on the
to balance his sightlines in such a way that the issues of climate change and poor governance.
audience gets the message of the play. Where there are features like choral and dance
Date of Performance performance as side shows, there should
Traditional and semi-traditional societies precede the drama performance.
in Africa have well-known calendars with
important market days. Such societies are Discussion Session
known to be careful in the choice of days for The discussion segment is a major
occasions that would demand community democratic feature of the theatre for
participation. The project leader should bear development event. The discussion session

442
 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management EJESM Vol. 5 no.4 (Suppl.1) 2012

should be moderated by the project leader. http://www.conservation.org/learn/climate/pages/o

Although people should be given the freedom verview.aspx?
to discuss the issues in focus, political Ekong, F., Ebong, S.O., Ndaeyo, N, and Otu,
utterances and unfair remarks against groups (2007), Land use, Land cover change and Rice
and individuals, should be overruled. The Production in the Niger Delta: Example from Ini
various segments of the society: chiefs, men, Local Government Area. International Journal of
women, young men and even matured children Agriculture, Food production and Environment, 4
should be allowed to air their views on the (1-4), 65-75.
issues at stake. Heffner, H. C. (1973), Modern Theatre Practice.
Monitoring New York: Meredith Corporation
After successfully staging the production Hedebro, G. (1982), Communication and Social
with a well-organized after-performance Change in Developing Nations. Ames: The lowa
discussion, a communiqué should be produced University United Press
and read for the people to adopt. It is this Nda, U. (2010), The Theatre and Environmental
communiqué that should be monitored to Conservation. Saarbrucken, Deutschland:
measure the level of compliance. It should last Lambert Academic Publishing
as long as the group is able to finance. Where Nda, U. (2007), ‘Proffering a Drama-based Model
a deviation is observed, the group is free to for Environmental Sustainability Development’ In:
take it up with the leaders and stakeholders in Eds. Petra Kupers and Gwen Robertson
the community. Community Performance London and New York:
Routledge
Conclusion Niger Delta Environmental Survey (NDES)
The foregoing has been a treatise on a (2000), Niger Delta Development
practicable model on the utilization of the Priorities and Action Plan, phase II report, vol. 2.
theatre for development methodology in Nigeria Country Anaysis (NCA) Brief (2003),
communicating the perils of climate change Environmental Issues, accessed
and environmental deterioration in the African online:http://www.eid.doe.gov/cabs/nigenv.html
continent. It has been based on a related case on 23, Oct 2011
study previously conducted in a local Njungbwen, E. and Ekong, F. (2009), “An
community in Africa. Its successful Assessment of Urban Growth in Uyo Using
implementation, which has emboldened the Remote Sensing Techniques” Journal of
setting out of the modalities in this paper, Environmental Design, 4(1&2), 88-97.
point to the fact that with the provision of an Oyebanjo, I. (2010), “Climate change, what
enabling environment, through funding and Nigeria must do” NBF News; at
support, it is possible to implement a well- http://www.nigeriabestforum.com/blog/?p=33770
planned process of employing the medium of on 28/10/2011
theatre for development in communicating and Paehler, H.K. (2007), “Nigeria in the dilemma of
mobilizing for a change from the attitudes that climate change”, Adenauer-Shiftung-Nigeria
cause climate change and environmental office publication series, country’s report accessed
degradation in the African society. online on 26/11/2010 at
http://www.kas.de/nigeria/en/publications/11468
References Umukoro, A. (2011), Beginning of the End? Tell
Edugreen (2007), Making environmental Magazine of January 24, 2011. Published by Tell
learning fun for the young, causes of climate Communications Limited, Lagos. pp. 24
change; accessed online on UNDP (2006), Niger Delta Human Development
http://edugreen.ten.res.in/explore/climate/chan Report, UN House, Abuja, Nigeria in South
ge/causes/html on 28/10/2011 Africa’, In: Critical Arts Vol. 2 No. 1, 1981.
Earthlab (2007), “calculate your carbon footprint” Zakes, M. (1993) When People Play People.
Global warming and carbon footprint explained, Zed Books Ltd London.
earthlab foundation, accessed online on
28/10/2011 at

443

View publication stats