Reality television and participatory development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta: Dawn in the creeks as a paradigm

In this digital era, when technology, innovation and globalization continue to drive major disruptions in different sectors, the media not exempted. With the advent of new media and the World Wide Web, fresh windows of communication have been opened up. One of such innovations, Reality Television has been deployed to foster participation of locals in their development programmes with relative success in certain parts of Africa and there is no gainsaying the fact that there is an imperative for change in diverse frontiers of the Nigerian polity. The reality show Dawn in the Creeks, directed by Jeta Amata, was set in three communities of the region-Ozoro in Delta State, Nembe in Bayelsa and Erema in Rivers State. It was televised on five national television stations and the local TV stations of those states concerned. The study has been anchored on two major theories, including Paulo Freire’s Theory of Conscientization and Critical  Consciousness, and the Democratic- Participant Theory. Data from questionnaires was generated for analysis, to measure the effectiveness of the programme in reducing incidences of violence among the youths of two of the three communities, namely, Ozoro and Erema. The research work investigates the above-mentioned media campaign and underlines the need for a truly people-driven participatory development practice. It also concludes that with altruism and sincere effort on the part of would-be change-agents, Reality TV is a veritable weapon for social reformation and reconstruction