Key Social Norms Take-aways MTV Shuga Naija significantly shifted harmful gender and sexual violence-related social norms among Nigerian youth by reducing victim-blaming attitudes and increasing awareness of sexual harassment and violence. The intervention illustrates how entertainment-education, when grounded in theory and embedded in relatable narratives, can disrupt entrenched norms, catalyze attitudinal change, and foster critical conversations among youth—even in culturally conservative settings. However, persistent gendered disparities in attitudes suggest the need for tailored approaches to reach and influence male audiences more effectively.

Objectives The study evaluated the impact of MTV Shuga Naija on youth attitudes, norms, and behaviors related to sexual violence, including stigma, victim-blaming, reporting of harassment, and family dialogue.

Methods A panel survey of Nigerian youth (ages 15–24) was conducted at baseline and endline in Lagos (treatment) and Kaduna/Kano (comparison areas). The study applied a doubly robust difference-in-differences (DID) model with fixed effects and inverse probability weighting to estimate the causal effects of program exposure. Survey instruments were based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions.

Intervention Details MTV Shuga Naija was an entertainment-education campaign (2018–2020) that included television and radio dramas, social media engagement, and peer education activities. The storyline addressed sexual violence and harassment through narratives involving young female victims navigating stigma, support-seeking, and justice. The programming aired in Lagos and partially in northern Nigeria (with restricted content in Kaduna and Kano), targeting youth with multi-platform content aimed at shifting norms and behaviors.

Results Exposure to MTV Shuga Naija led to significant reductions in harmful beliefs such as blaming victims for rape if intoxicated (−32 pp for females), wearing revealing clothing (−36.6 pp), or not fighting back (−28.3 pp). Among males, improvements were also seen but were less pronounced. Reporting of sexual harassment increased, including “being touched in an uncomfortable way” (+14.8 pp for females). Dialogue about sexual violence within families improved, but contrary to expectations, increases were more significant in comparison areas—possibly due to unmeasured differences in conversation content or social context.

Conclusions MTV Shuga Naija effectively used entertainment to challenge and reduce acceptance of gender-based violence and reshape norms among youth. While promising, the findings also underscore challenges in norm change, especially with male audiences, and highlight the importance of context-sensitive design, sustained engagement, and complementary community-level strategies to reinforce message uptake and ensure lasting change.