RADIO BROADCAST NARRATIVES AND STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FINANCE: CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS IN NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA

This study examined radio broadcast narratives and stakeholder communication in wildlife conservation finance: challenges and innovations in Niger Delta, Nigeria. The participatory communication theory was anchored in this study. The qualitative research design adopted was grounded in the interpretivist paradigm, utilising in-depth interviews. The population of the study included radio broadcasters, community leaders, environmental NGO representatives and government conservation officers in the Niger Delta region, estimated at 2,000 individuals across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa Delta and Rivers States. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select 30 key informants considered most knowledgeable and actively involved in radio production, environmental advocacy and stakeholder engagement in conservation projects. Data were collected through semi-structured interview guides tailored to each category of respondent, allowing flexibility to probe emergent themes. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis, which involved identifying, coding and categorising recurrent patterns and themes from the narratives. The findings revealed that radio broadcasts in the Niger Delta employed a mix of storytelling, emotional appeals and indigenous language use to effectively communicate wildlife conservation messages. Local folklore and metaphors are often used to relate the importance of conservation to cultural heritage, while emotional narratives around endangered species and forest destruction are designed to evoke urgency and concern. However, while these strategies attract attention, their effectiveness in fostering long-term behaviour change is limited without consistent follow-up and localised, actionable messaging. This study concluded that radio broadcasts in the Niger Delta employed culturally relevant narrative structures, such as storytelling, indigenous language use and emotional appeals to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. These strategies, while effective in attracting attention, face challenges in fostering long-term behaviour change due to the lack of actionable and consistent messaging. The study recommended that radio stations in the Niger Delta should collaborate with conservation organisations to develop consistent, actionable messaging that encourages long-term behaviour change in wildlife conservation, with the support of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).