The radio drama mini-series production represented the second phase of the Alimosho Climate Campaign Project. This component of our initiative was strategically designed to promote environmental action, responsibility, and accountability through the powerful medium of voice acting and narrative expression. Our series, titled “Mama Felicity and Her Community Broom Sisters,” was carefully crafted to illuminate the critical narrative of how “ordinary” female workers’ efforts are frequently undermined by community indifference. The script aimed to demonstrate how such collective negligence directly contributes to widespread flooding issues across the local government area.
The initial scriptwriting phase unfolded smoothly, benefiting from the creative writing expertise already present within our management team. Before developing the first draft, the writer alongside some TMSI staff spent a morning observing female LAWMA workers while doing their jobs, and how they interacted with the hundreds of of diverse community members they come in contact with daily. This tone of voice exercise allowed the development of the first draft to go smoothly. After developing the first draft, which comprised six comprehensive episodes, our team pivoted to the next crucial stage of voice actor recruitment.
The voice actor selection process spanned approximately two weeks, during which we meticulously identified and engaged talent. We ultimately selected five primary actors, complementing their performances with additional voices provided by our dedicated staff members and volunteers. This approach ensured a rich, multi-layered audio experience while also maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Our collaboration with a professional digital recording studio in Meiran, a local suburb within Alimosho LGA facilitated a comprehensive production process, encompassing pre-production, recording, and post-production stages. The primary recording session was accomplished in a single intensive session alongside 5 voice actors using the already developed script, demonstrating the efficiency and preparedness of our team and selected actors.
Following the studio recording, the sound engineer embarked on an immersive sound collection journey for the audio background, primarily major roads, marketplaces, and public parks. The post-production and editing process extended over approximately two weeks. This period included some iterative refinements, most notably the realization and subsequent recording of a sponsor announcement broadcast message to be attached to the end of each episode. Despite this minor oversight, we ultimately achieved a polished final product ready for broadcast.
Prior to production, we had strategically engaged multiple radio stations, including IKD FM, Reel Radio, Character FM, Melody FM, and Bond FM. Detailed discussions were held to align on broadcast requirements, frequency, and timing. Our comprehensive approach ensured maximum reach and impact specifically for Alimosho LGA residents and for the broader community across Lagos state due to the reach of some of the station houses.
Upon completion, the series was immediately deployed across the selected radio platforms. The broadcasts spanned one month, with varied scheduling strategies. Some stations aired episodes daily, others weekly. Broadcast times were strategically selected, ranging from early morning at 6:55 AM to noon and evening slots at 5 PM during business closure times. This was done to reach a wider reach of diverse audience engaging with their radio at different intervals.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of our radio drama series was the inclusive lingo approach we used. Recognizing the diverse language landscape of our target community and our observations with female LAWMA workers in their natural element, we recorded the series mixing English, Pidgin, and Yoruba. This multilingual strategy ensured broader accessibility and more profound community engagement.
The radio drama series reached thousands of Alimosho residents and the broader Lagos community and emerged as a compelling example of creative communication for societal change. By leveraging storytelling, we initiated conversations that subsequently turned environmental education from a potentially dry topic into an engaging, relatable narrative that could penetrate diverse community segments.