The National Conversation 5 (NC5) project set out to empower Tanzanians especially women, youth, and marginalized groups to engage more actively in local governance. At its core was “Nijuze,” a 10–15-minute civic education radio program aired across regions of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, tackling topics from governance to climate change and livelihoods.
To measure its real-world impact, BBC Media Action partnered with DAMAX Solutions to conduct a large-scale evaluation covering 27 districts and 2,079 respondents aged 18–60. The results were eye-opening.
📡 What We Learned:
- Nijuze reached a wide audience and boosted civic confidence, awareness, and community participation.
- Radio still matters, but not in the same way: many households use radios mainly to play music from memory cards.
- Live programming is often “background noise” unless it’s deeply personal, emotional, or directly relevant to listeners’ lives.
- Trusted local media remains a powerful tool but content must evolve with shifting listener behaviors and media habits.
🎯 Why It Matters:
These findings reveal both the power and limits of traditional media in today’s Tanzania. For civic education to truly resonate, programming must align with people’s everyday priorities, preferred formats, and emotional connection points.
The NC5 study doesn’t just evaluate a program it provides a roadmap for designing inclusive, impactful, and audience-first civic media.