The Indi-Genius podcast series, implemented from May 2022 to September 2022, was created to provide a platform for young indigenous family planning/reproductive health leaders in Nigeria and Niger Republic to share their local knowledge and best practices in Family Planning/Reproductive Health programming through creative oral storytelling. The project's main goal was to improve the technical and programmatic skills of young FP and RH leaders, allowing them to manage FP/RH knowledge and become more effective advocates and program implementers.
The methodology for the project include: 1) Co-design workshop with young people and relevant stakeholders, 2) Official launch of the Indi-Genius podcast, 3) Recruitment and selection of 20 family planning leaders from Nigeria and the Republic of Niger, 4) Selection of African-themed podcast soundtrack through a nationwide competition, 5) Storytelling and social media capacity building workshop for selected youth leaders, 6) Recording and publication of podcast episodes, 7) Instagram live Indi-Genius exchanges between youths and global experts, 8) Radio station advocacy visits, and 9) Project close-out event.
Results: 20 featured FP stories (13 from Nigeria and 7 from Niger) out of 72 applications. Website visits - 379, # of Plays -121, Instagram views - 2295, likes - 386, Followers - 159, Shares -104, comments -31. Twitter retweets - 69, likes- 113, comments - 4.
Conclusion: The outcome of the Indi-Genius Podcast project emphasizes the importance of recognizing the localized knowledge and expertise of young family planning leaders and incorporating these best practices into community-owned and focused FP programs to reduce the unmet need for FP services among young people, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.
