About Us || Arts For Behavioural Change Foundation

Under ABCC , Television and Radio programmes channeled at propagating behavioural and attitudinal change in the society are produced. Programmes under ABCC are; Echoes From The Valley, Bridges, Revelations and Horizons.

Arts for Behavioural Change Foundation (ABCF), is the first Non-Governmental, Non profit organization in Nigeria that is primarily focused on promoting attitudinal and behavioural change in the society.

Through our various programmes and campaigns, every member of the Nigerian society and the world at large would be made to realize the fact that all of us, through our attitude and behaviour, are responsible for the situation we find ourselves and that things can only change for the better if we take definite steps towards changing ourselves.

The Nigerian society as it is today and indeed other countries in the African continent is besieged by a host of ills, some of which are: Corruption, Ethnic and Religious violence, Youth restiveness, Political instability, illiteracy, poverty, Gender discrimination, Unemployment, Inadequate health care services, Human trafficking, poor value system, Lack of infrastructures, Child Labour/Abuse among others.

These ills are what impede the development of these societies and research conducted attributes the existence of these ills to the attitude and behaviour of the people of these societies.

The attainment of development by Nigeria and other under-developed countries of the world would remain only a dream if concerted efforts are not made to eradicate these ills in these societies. This can only be achieved by a change in attitude and behaviour of the people, hence, the need for a consistent and intensive campaign for attitudinal and behavioural change, which when embraced, will ensure a peaceful, crime-free world, devoid of poverty, Unemployment and the likes.

The media all over the world is said to be one of the strongest tool for change in the society and this thought gave birth to our media segment: Arts for Behavioural Change Campaign (ABCC).

Under ABCC , Television and Radio programmes channelled at propagating attitudinal and behavioural change in the society are produced. Programmes under ABCC are; Echoes From The Valley, Bridges, Revelations and Horizons.

Documentaries, Talk Shows,
Jingles, Advertisements, Dramas, Musical Shows, Docu-Dramas,
Reality Shows, Sponsorship of News Segments,
Children Television.

Publication of Magazines, Newspapers,
Pamphlets, Newsletters, Messages in National Dailies & Magazines,
Posters, Handbills, Billboards, Banners. Bulletins, Booklets.

Stage Dramas, Comedy Shows, Events,
Community theatres, Art Exhibitions, Musical Concerts,
Dance-Dramas, creative dramatics, Pantomimes.

Conferences, Counseling, Conventions,
Training, Road Shows, Symposia, Message Displays,
Seminars, Movies for Advocacy.

We are the producers of Echoes from the Valley, a documentary series on Nigeria and Nigerians in the Diaspora. The programme presently focuses on the activities of Nigerians in the Diaspora which is targeted at discouraging the desperate and unplanned search for greener pastures abroad as well as showcasing Nigeria’s talent and contribution to the rest of the world, as against the image accorded the country by the International community, where Nigerians in the Diaspora are seen first as criminals and criminally minded.

The crew of Echoes from the Valley have traveled to various parts of the world and have featured outstanding Nigerians who are not only doing their country proud, but are contributing significantly to the economies of their host countries. The programme is broadcast on TV stations across Nigeria and Ben TV in the UK, NTA and NTA International. Our target is to broadcast the programme in every major country across the globe.

ABCF intends reaching out to people in every nook and cranny of the Nigerian society, including the rural areas through various means but most especially through direct contact in languages and media familiar to the people of a given community.

Consequently, the organization sought to involve the departments/ Associations of Performing/Dramatic Arts in various Nigerian Universities. This informed the conceptualization of Paradigm Shift: A call for change- a yearly convention for undergraduates of Performing/Dramatic Arts in the Universities.

The maiden edition of the programme tagged, Paradigm Shift 2006: A call for change took place in April, 2006. The five day event witnessed a large turn out of student delegates who undertook to be effective agents for change in the geo-graphical regions where their schools are situated.

Paradigm Shift 2006: A call for change featured Paper Presentations and interactive sessions on various aspects of life. The students were taken through a psychological journey of the ills in the society and made to acknowledge the need for change in attitude and behaviour by all.

Candid, another ABCF’s product was launched and formally presented to the public on Wednesday, November 8, 2006.

The event witnessed an impressive turnout of guests who are renowned proponents of change both in the Nigerian society and the Diaspora.

Candid is distributed effectively to various organizations, groups, institutions, Ministries, schools, Parastatals, Foreign Missions in Nigeria and Nigerian Missions abroad. The magazine which is published every other month focuses on the need for change in attitude and behaviour in every aspect of life.

The various columns are written by renowned writers across the globe; Nigerians and non Nigerians alike and tackles every issue pertinent to human existence.

Full-coloured, glossy and of a high standard, Candid which is distributed free of charge is educative, informative, entertaining and above all, propagates change in every aspect of life. The Magazine is a delight to behold.

From November 24-December 4, 2006 ABCF also organized and coordinated a free medical mission to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja where the poor received free consultations, treatment and surgeries.

ABCF brought in a team of five (5) medical personnel made up of two (2) Nigerians and Three Americans from the United States of America for the project.

The free medical mission was a heaven-sent opportunity for some Nigerians who, due to lack of funds, could not ordinarily afford such treatment. People who had been diagnosed for years and needed surgeries have been living with the illness ever since, but the free medical mission gave them renewed hope.

The doctors, with support from their locally based colleagues, carried out major surgeries on numerous patients whose cases varied.

The 2006 project served as a test run for a proposed sustainable medical mission. Another mission, which will cover the six zones of the country, is scheduled for the last quarter of 2007.

Students’ Talent Hunt is an interactive programme for students in primary and secondary schools and entails students from various schools coming together to compete in events which include Debate, Singing, Choreography, Essay, Quiz, Miming and Dancing competitions.

The programme is conceptualized to promote attitudinal and behavioural change in the younger generation as topics and issues treated in the programme are channelled towards this cause.

Students Talent Hunt debuted in Lagos State in the year 2000 and has since commenced in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with on-going plans to organize the programme in other parts of the country.

UPCOMING EVENT

ABCF intends establishing ABCF Clubs in all Primary and Secondary schools in Nigeria and this informed the conceptualization of the teachers’ conference, considering that the clubs will be coordinated by teachers in the various schools.

The teachers’ conference is scheduled for the year 2008with the theme: Creating New Minds.

OBJECTIVES
· To identify and address causes of moral decadence in the younger generation
· To identify and address the role of teachers/parents in a child’s upbringing
· Address the influence of peer pressure
· Appraise the importance of teacher/parent relationship in child development
· Identify the role of the community to child development
· Encourage patriotism- Love your country regardless
· Examine ways of encouraging and promoting the right attitude and behaviour in the younger generation.
· Encourage Social Responsibility in the younger generation.

CONFERENCE TOPICS
1. Child Orientation: Whose responsibility?
Angle of Paper Presentations & discussions:
Teachers (b) Child Psychologist (c) Family (d) Community

2. Who builds a nation?
(a) Role of teachers in nation building
(b) Factors militating against teachers input
(c) Dealing with children with special needs

3. The Right attitude
(a) Attitude of the teacher towards the child
(b) Attitude of parents towards the child
(c) Responsibility of the child towards the society.

Partners/Sponsors/Donors are invited to join us in this noble project which is targeted at making the world a better place for all. Please contact us for further details and partnership/sponsorship categories

Development, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is said to be the gradual growth of something so that it becomes larger, more advanced or more organized.

In the context of countries, the developed nations of the world are able to provide for their citizens; basic needs are met and healthcare, food and shelter are accessible to all.

The situation in Nigeria and other developing countries of the world is however, entirely different. Lack of an effective social security system is the bane of the average citizen and over sixty percent (60%) of Nigerians who are said to be living below the poverty line do not have access to the basic needs of life.

The importance of an effective Social Security System to the eradication of poverty, vis-à-vis development of a nation cannot be overemphasized. It is generally perceived that youth restiveness, armed robbery, illiteracy, street hawking, corruption and most crimes in the society are often linked to the absence of an effective Social Security System.

The average Nigerian and indeed the youth, who make up a large percentage of the population are presently not aware of, or do not have any knowledge of the available social security/protection services on offer. It is against this backdrop that the proposed Critical Point is based.

Critical Point is a thirty minutes television programme designed to address the issue of social security in all its ramifications with the objective of having the younger generation be more knowledgeable about the social security service available in Nigeria.

The programme, which will afford the youths an avenue to talk about social security/protection, is designed to open up a channel of communication between the Nigeria youth and the relevant policy makers in the area of social security/Insurance. It will give the agency an idea of what the youth expect from the government and how a sound social security System could help reduce the ills in the society to the barest minimum.

With financial support from the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Critical Point will debut on the network service of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), the largest TV network in Africa from January 2008.

BEAM PROJECT

BEAM Project is designed to take mentorship to another level. Research conducted around the country shows that over 90% of students in local public schools (in most cases, Community schools) are from families living below the poverty line who can barely afford food on the table, how much less books and necessary things like school sandals and the like.

In some cases, majority of these schools are without tables and chairs and students often study on the bare floor and sometimes under trees. Surprisingly, some of these students are exceptionally brilliant and tend to do better academically, than their counterparts from comfortable and wealthy homes who attend the best of schools.

Sadly, our research also revealed that these brilliant students from poor homes do not go beyond Secondary school level while a large percentage usually do not write their final exams as they could not afford the examination fees. Consequently, they usually do not amount to anything. While some end up as armed robbers, others go into manual labour and yet a few others just roam about, going where the tide takes them.

This has a multiplier effect on the country as not only does it loss possibly her best brains, security of lives and property are not guaranteed so far as there are armed robbers about and the country remains underdeveloped.

In BEAM Project, ABCF will research and get list of brilliant final year students in the above-mentioned public schools who could not further their education; then approach individuals in the society; those who could easily afford it and request that each one of them be financially responsible for at least, one of such students through the university.

ABCF will act as a link between the beneficiaries and the ‘Mentors’ who will be at liberty to decide if he/she would only put in finances or have direct contact with the beneficiaries. The ‘BEAM Project’ is something like taking from the rich to give to the poor but in this case, on a voluntary basis, on the part of the ‘Mentors’.

The project will be launched in the 2nd quarter of 2008. Our target is that at the time of the launch, we would have two hundred (200) mentors with each person ‘mentoring’ at least one person.

Our projection is that in five (5) years, nothing less than ten thousand (10000) youths would have benefited from the project which we hope will have a multiplier effect. Individuals, Organizations, institutions both within and outside Nigeria are invited to be part of this life-changing project. Interested parties should contact ABCF.