"You Need to be Able to Stand Up for What is Right": MTV Shuga Naija 's Transformative Impact on Youth Attitudes Toward Sexual Violence in Nigeria.

This article evaluates the impact of MTV Shuga Naija, an entertainment-education television and radio drama series aired in Nigeria from 2018 to 2020, on youth attitudes and behaviors related to sexual violence. Using a two-wave panel survey of Nigerian youth aged 15 to 24 in Lagos (treatment area) and Kaduna and Kano (comparison areas), the study employs doubly robust difference-in-differences models to assess changes in victim-blaming attitudes, disclosure of sexual harassment and violence, and communication about sexual violence with family. Results indicate that exposure to MTV Shuga Naija significantly reduced harmful victim-blaming attitudes and increased self-reported disclosure of sexual harassment among youth in Lagos, though increases in family discussions about sexual violence were greater in comparison areas. The study highlights the program's effectiveness in shifting norms but notes persistent victim-blaming attitudes and calls for further research on family dialogue content, structural barriers to victim support, and long-term behavioral impacts.