Participatory Learning and Action as a Communication Strategy forFostering Environmental Dialogue and Action in Makilolo-OkomuCommunity of Edo State

Abstract

This paper examines how Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) functions as a
communication strategy for fostering environmental dialogue and catalysing
collaborative action within Makilolo-Okomu Creek Community of Ovia South-West
Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The study draws on empirical data
generated through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted with
community members as well as other local stakeholders to contend that
Participatory Learning Action (PLA) is a handy strategy for communicating
environmental action. The findings reveal that, prior to PLA engagement,
community members possessed rich experiential ecological knowledge yet
remained structurally excluded from the formal communicative channels through
which environmental and social development decisions were made. Okomu Oil
Palm Company and the Okomu National Park operate within the community's
territorial boundaries, yet residents reported no formal memorandum of
understanding and no participatory input into decisions shaping their livelihoods.
Following structured PLA intervention which incorporates community mapping,
pairwise ranking, problem identification, and community action planning,
participants reported measurable shifts in their environmental awareness,
collective agency, and capacity for evidence-based advocacy with external
institutional actors. This study concludes that PLA's communicative value
transcends information transfer, to a more concerted methodical tool that serves
multinational companies and their host creek communities in conflicts.