THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT (TFD) AND PROMOTING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN GOMBE STATE

Abstract

Despite the significant population of youth across several communities in Gombe state, there are little or no strategies put in place in communities to motivate their active participation in community development. Therefore, ensuring that the youth galvanize their energies and huge potentials in the transformation of their respective community becomes key in this regard. To this end, this study explores Theatre for Development (TFD) as a strategy primarily geared at facilitating community development via youth participations and engagements. The TFD experience examined in this paper is undertaken in Kalmai community located in Billiri Local Government Area (LGA) in Gombe State, North-East, Nigeria. Flowing from the analysis on the TFD experience undertaken in the community, this paper argues on the need to advance TFD as a methodology for revamping active youth participation in driving local community development in Gombe state and Nigeria as whole.