ID: 2012
Presenting Author: Helen Dennis Teghtegh
Session: 552 - Accelerating with Integrity: Strengthening Social Impact Assessment in the face of urgency and misinformation
Status: pending
This study shows that Theatre for Development enhances transparency, reduces misinformation, and empowers IDPs in Benue, Nigeria, promoting trust and accountability in conflict-affected camp settings
Repositioning Communication Transparency through Theatre for
Development (TfD): An impact Assessment of IDP Camps in Benue-Nigeria.
ABSTRACT.
This study explores the role of Theatre for Development (TfD) in strengthening communication and promoting transparency within Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Benue, Nigeria. It examines how misinformation propagation hinders effective information dissemination, leading to disinformation-driven narratives that undermine trust and hinder humanitarian efforts. Recent research reveals that approximately 60% of trafficking victims are internally displaced persons (IDPs), exploiting their vulnerability and the spread of misinformation. This underscores the urgent need for transparent communication to effectively address safety and security concerns. By leveraging TfD’s open, participatory approach, the research assesses its potential to facilitate transparent communication, enabling IDPs to scrutinize and validate information actively. Through qualitative method, the impact of TfD on reducing misinformation and fostering trust among camp residents and aid providers is evaluated. The findings highlight that TfD’s inclusive communication processes improves information accuracy, empower the IDPs, and promotes accountability. This paper underscores the importance of participatory communication models like TfD in conflict-affected settings, advocating for their broader adoption to enhance transparency, combat misinformation, and support sustainable development.
Keywords: Communication, Transparency, disinformation, Theatre . f.D
Dr. Helen Teghtegh is a seasoned development expert with 20+ years in gender, climate change, humanitarian response, policy, capacity-building, and stakeholder engagement in Nigeria and international