Addressing the Impact of Complex English Use in Communicating Climate Change in Nigerian Communities Through Contextual Understanding

The effective implementation of preparedness and response strategies toward climate change resilience has evolved into a technical, sociopolitical, and communication issue. We argue that, for climate communication to effectively contribute to community resilience, it demands meaningful dialogue and engagement to facilitate understanding. Using the risk communication theory, we assessed the impact of complex English language on climate change understanding in Nigerian communities where local languages are predominant. Through surveys and semi-structured interviews, we found that current communication strategies are ineffective and misaligned with the local context, traditional knowledge systems, and specific community concerns, therefore marginalizing local actors from meaningful participation. The translation of climate communication into climate change action is challenging for local actors due to prevailing exclusion from discussion and a lack of engagement, which contributes to misunderstanding and poor climate change action. The study indicates that enhancing climate change communication in Nigeria necessitates the development of integrative strategies tailored to the language, cultural, and educational context that will encourage the local actors to participate effectively in this discussion. The paper recommends translating information into local languages and integrating local proverbs and mythological interpretations that can be positively employed to combat climate change within these communities more organically.