Media advocacy and sensitization to condemn artisanal refinery

Illegal oil refining in the Niger Delta is increasingly becoming an industry in the region without concerns for negative effects on the environment, health and economy of the nation. The impacts have affected oil bearing and producing communities in the Niger Delta leading to social unrest in the region. CEHRD in an effort to create awareness on the dangers of illegal refining of crude oil, developed a sustainable framework to sensitize communities in Rivers and Bayelsa states on the need to stop indulging in the act for their safety. The framework involved media advocacy strategies, targeting stakeholders at different levels and local communities involved in the act and affected by it. As outlined above, CEHRD deployed several strategies to achieve this activity and created the much-needed awareness on the subject. The developed jingles carried a message that condemns oil theft and artisanal refining in the region and how we all need to conserve and protect our environment. The jingles were aired in Bayelsa and Rivers States on radio stations known for their vast coverage and massive listeners/online followers. The Jingles were aired 6 times each in Bayelsa and Rivers States on 93.1 People’s FM Yenagoa and 93.7 Rhythm FM Port Harcourt respectively. The jingles were aired as an introduction to the live appearance call-in radio programs. A second strategy deployed as outlined above was live appearance call-in radio programs, these talk-shows presented a platform where listeners can call and asked questions or contribute to the discussions. A total of 6 talk-shows were aired each in Bayelsa and Rivers states on 93.1 Peoples FM in Yenagoa and 93.7 Rhythm FM Port Harcourt. The talk show featured CEHRD and resource persons that are experts on the topic, discussing salient issues as it relates to oil theft and artisanal refining in communities across the Niger Delta. The program was aired weekly for 30minutes, and had the following topics discussed: - Introduction – Impacts of Artisanal refining on local economy - Illegal refining threatening the Niger Delta cleanup - Impacts of Illegal refining and Gender implications - Artisanal refining: environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts - Artisanal refining affecting food security - Artisanal refining driving climate change in the Niger Delta. Each of the topics were discussed extensively weekly in Bayelsa and Rivers States with listeners calling in to voice their views in support or against the act of artisanal refining for survival by youths in the Niger Delta region. In all, the radio programs created another opportunity for CEHRD to sensitize the public on the dangers in illegal refining of crude and how it affects the environment, health, livelihoods, local and the national economies. Lastly, we erected billboards at strategic locations in Bayelsa and Rivers States to further drive home the awareness creation on stakeholders to support the fight against illegal refining of crude oil. The billboards were erected at Yenagoa tollgate (entrance to Bayelsa state capital) and at Saakpenwa junction in Rivers state (entrance to Ogoniland were artisanal refining is the bane of the moment). Both locations were chosen strategically for maximum visibility by the populace.