Project – Effect of Political Communication on Youth Civic Participation in Nigeria. A Study of Selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Political communication is an important component of democratic governance because it provides the channels through which political actors, institutions, the media and citizens exchange information about public affairs. It encompasses the production, transmission and interpretation of messages relating to political actors, policies, elections, governance and public issues. In democratic societies, political communication enables citizens to acquire political knowledge, develop opinions, discuss public issues and participate in political processes. The rapid expansion of digital media has further transformed political communication by allowing citizens, including young people, to encounter political information through social networking platforms, online news, video-sharing platforms and other interactive channels. Research on youth political engagement has shown that media use can be associated with political interest and intentions to participate, although the relationship depends on how young people use and interpret political information (Kruikemeier & Shehata, 2017; Kim, 2023).

The importance of political communication is particularly evident among young people because communication can contribute to political socialisation and the development of civic awareness. Young people encounter political messages through interpersonal communication, traditional mass media, political campaigns, educational institutions and increasingly through digital platforms. Political communication can provide information about political parties, candidates, government policies, elections, public problems and opportunities for civic involvement. When young citizens have access to relevant political information, they may become more capable of understanding political issues and considering different forms of participation. Kruikemeier and Shehata (2017) found evidence of reinforcing relationships between news-media use, political interest and participation intentions among adolescents, indicating that political information environments can be connected to the development of political engagement.

In Nigeria, the relationship between political communication and youth participation has become increasingly important because young Nigerians constitute a significant part of the population and are highly visible in contemporary political discussions. The expansion of social media has created additional avenues through which young people can communicate about politics, follow political campaigns, express opinions, interact with political actors and mobilise around public issues. Onyechi (2018), in a study involving University of Ibadan students during the 2015 political campaigns, found a significant relationship between students’ social-media exposure patterns and their participation during the campaigns. The study further showed that respondents used social media to satisfy cognitive and social needs during the political campaign period, demonstrating the relevance of digital political communication to youth political participation in Nigeria.

Political communication can influence civic participation not only by transmitting information but also by providing opportunities for political expression and interaction. Social media platforms allow young people to comment on political issues, share political information, discuss public policies, interact with political candidates and organizations, participate in online campaigns and mobilise others around issues of public concern. Mustapha and Omar (2020), in their study of Nigerian youths during the 2019 general elections, found that youths were more active in online political participation than offline political participation, even after considering factors such as civic activism, political education and political efficacy. This finding demonstrates that contemporary political communication may create new forms of participation that operate alongside, rather than completely replacing, conventional political activities.

The potential influence of political communication on civic participation is also evident in collective political activities in Nigeria. Social-media platforms have been used by young Nigerians to circulate political information, coordinate activities, express grievances and draw public attention to issues. In their study of the Occupy Nigeria protest, Okoro and Nwafor (2013) found that social media were extensively used by protesters to plan and organise activities, while participants associated the platforms with interaction, socialisation and collective engagement. More recent research on Nigerian youth movements similarly demonstrates that digital media have become important spaces for political mobilisation and collective identity formation. Egbunike (2025), for example, found that digital platforms played a substantial role in the electoral campaigns of the Obidient movement, with Twitter/X particularly prominent among the young participants studied in Lagos.

However, the influence of political communication on civic participation should not be assumed to be automatic or uniformly positive. Exposure to political messages may increase awareness and encourage participation, but online political activity may also remain largely expressive without translating into sustained offline civic action. Mustapha and Omar (2020) specifically observed stronger youth participation online than offline during the 2019 Nigerian general elections, highlighting the distinction between digital political engagement and conventional forms of civic participation. Similarly, Kim (2023) found that different forms of social-media news use do not have identical relationships with civic and political engagement: relational and expressive forms of use were associated with greater engagement, whereas merely informative news use did not necessarily produce the same outcome. These findings suggest that the nature and quality of political communication may matter as much as exposure itself.

The issue is particularly relevant to students in tertiary institutions because higher education institutions provide an important environment for political learning, discussion and civic development. Tertiary students are generally exposed to diverse ideas through classroom interactions, peer networks, student organizations, news media and digital communication platforms. Political communication can therefore provide students with information and opportunities to develop political efficacy, express opinions and participate in civic activities. Research involving college students has shown that social-media political participation can serve as a pathway to offline participation, while other studies have identified civic education, political efficacy and communication networks as relevant factors in student political engagement (Kim & Khang, 2014; Nishishiba et al., 2005). In Nigeria, Onyechi’s (2018) study of University of Ibadan students further provides empirical evidence that political communication through social media was significantly related to students’ participation during political campaigns.

Lagos State provides a significant setting for examining this relationship because it is an important centre of higher education, political communication, media activity and youth engagement in Nigeria. Students in Lagos tertiary institutions interact with political messages through social-media platforms, online news, political campaigns, student organizations and interpersonal networks. Recent Nigerian research also demonstrates that youth-led digital political movements have had an important presence in Lagos, where young people have used digital platforms to construct political identities and participate in campaign-related activities. Egbunike (2025) found that digital media were significant in the electoral mobilisation of the Obidient movement among participants resident in Lagos, while Ngoka et al. (2026) reported that WhatsApp political campaigns influenced voting behaviour among University of Nigeria, Nsukka students during the 2023 presidential election. These studies demonstrate the relevance of digital political communication to contemporary Nigerian youth, while also indicating the need for further research focused specifically on tertiary students in Lagos State.

Against this background, political communication represents an important mechanism through which young Nigerians can acquire political information, develop civic awareness and engage with political processes. Nevertheless, the extent to which political communication actually influences broader civic participation among tertiary students remains an empirical question, particularly within the Lagos State context. Existing Nigerian studies have examined social-media use during elections, digital mobilisation and youth political participation, but there is still a need to examine the broader relationship between political communication and civic participation among students across selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State. This study therefore investigates the effect of political communication on youth civic participation in Nigeria, using selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State as the study area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Youth participation is important to the functioning and continuity of democratic systems, yet young people’s involvement in political and civic activities can take different forms and vary in intensity. In Nigeria, political communication has expanded considerably through digital platforms, providing young people with opportunities to obtain political information, discuss public issues and express political opinions. However, increased exposure to political communication does not necessarily mean that young people will participate actively in civic affairs. Mustapha and Omar (2020) found that Nigerian youths were more active in online political participation than offline political activities during the 2019 general elections, suggesting a possible difference between digital engagement and broader forms of civic participation.

A second problem concerns the nature and quality of political communication encountered by young people. Political messages available through social media and other digital platforms can include campaign information, political commentary, policy discussions, citizen-generated content and partisan messages. The interactive nature of digital platforms allows young people to respond to and circulate political content rapidly, but exposure to political information alone may not produce sustained civic engagement. Kim (2023) found that the relationship between social-media news use and civic or political engagement differs according to the type of use, with relational and expressive uses showing different associations from purely informative use. This raises questions about whether political communication among tertiary students primarily informs civic participation or simply encourages temporary online expression.

A third problem relates to the gap between online political participation and offline civic participation among Nigerian youths. Young people may comment on political issues, share campaign messages, follow political personalities or participate in online discussions without necessarily engaging in activities such as voting, community mobilisation, political meetings, volunteering or other forms of civic involvement. Onyechi (2018) found a significant relationship between social-media exposure and political participation among University of Ibadan students during the 2015 campaigns, while Mustapha and Omar (2020) found that Nigerian youths demonstrated greater participation online than offline during the 2019 elections. These findings suggest that political communication may be relevant to youth participation, but the extent to which it translates into wider civic participation requires further empirical investigation.

The fourth problem is the limited evidence specifically examining the effect of political communication on youth civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State. Existing studies have examined Nigerian university students, social-media use, election campaigns, digital movements and online political participation in other geographical or institutional contexts. For example, Egbunike (2025) examined digital media and the Obidient movement among participants in Lagos, while Ngoka et al. (2026) examined WhatsApp and voting behaviour among students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. However, these studies do not directly address the broader relationship between political communication and civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State. This study therefore seeks to address this gap by examining the extent to which political communication influences youth civic participation among selected tertiary institution students in Lagos State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of political communication on youth civic participation in Nigeria, using selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State as a case study.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the extent to which exposure to political communication influences civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State;
2. determine the effect of political information obtained through social media on youth civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State;
3. examine the effect of political discussion and political expression on civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State; and
4. determine the effect of political mobilisation through communication platforms on civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent does exposure to political communication influence civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State?
2. What effect does political information obtained through social media have on youth civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State?
3. What effect do political discussion and political expression have on civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State?
4. What effect does political mobilisation through communication platforms have on civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: Political communication has no significant effect on youth civic participation among students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to students and young people because it will provide a better understanding of how political communication may relate to their civic involvement. The study may help students recognize the different ways through which political information, political discussions and digital communication can influence their participation in civic affairs.

The study will be useful to tertiary institutions because universities, polytechnics and colleges have an important role in developing students’ civic knowledge and participation. The findings may assist institutions in understanding the communication channels through which students engage with political and civic issues and may provide useful evidence for strengthening civic and political education programmes.

The study will also be useful to government and electoral institutions because it may provide information concerning the communication patterns associated with youth civic participation. Understanding how students receive and respond to political communication may assist relevant institutions in designing clearer and more accessible civic and voter-information programmes.

The study will benefit political communication practitioners, journalists and media organizations by providing evidence about the relationship between political communication and youth civic participation. The findings may help communication practitioners understand the channels and forms of political messaging that students encounter and how these may relate to civic engagement.

The study will be relevant to civil society organizations and youth-development organizations involved in civic education, voter education and democratic participation. The findings may provide empirical evidence that can assist in developing programmes aimed at encouraging informed and constructive youth participation in civic affairs.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic literature on political communication, youth participation, digital media and civic engagement in Nigeria. It may provide a basis for further research on political communication among young people and help address the relative shortage of institution-specific evidence concerning tertiary students in Lagos State.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the effect of political communication on youth civic participation in Nigeria, using selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State.

Content Scope

The study will examine four dimensions of political communication:

• exposure to political communication;
• political information obtained through social media;
• political discussion and political expression; and
• political mobilisation through communication platforms.

The dependent variable, youth civic participation, will include activities such as voting intention/participation, political discussions, participation in civic organizations, community involvement, political campaigns, contacting political representatives and other lawful forms of civic engagement.

Geographical Scope

The study will be conducted in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria. The institutions may include selected universities, polytechnics and/or colleges of education, depending on the institutions ultimately selected by the researcher.

Population Scope

The study will focus on students within the youth population enrolled in the selected tertiary institutions. Respondents will be selected according to the sampling procedure presented in Chapter Three.

Conceptual Scope

The independent variable is political communication, while the dependent variable is youth civic participation. Political communication is examined through exposure, political information, political discussion/expression and political mobilisation, while civic participation is examined through students’ involvement in political and community-oriented activities.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Political Communication: The process through which political information, ideas, opinions, messages and arguments are produced, transmitted, exchanged and interpreted among political actors, the media and citizens.

Youth: Young people within the age category adopted for this study, particularly students in the selected tertiary institutions who fall within the relevant Nigerian youth age range.

Civic Participation: The involvement of individuals in activities through which they contribute to public, political or community affairs, including voting, political discussions, volunteering, advocacy, community activities and participation in civic organizations.

Political Information: Information concerning political parties, candidates, elections, government policies, public issues, political institutions and political events.

Political Discussion: The exchange of ideas, opinions and information about political issues among individuals or groups through interpersonal, institutional or digital communication channels.

Political Expression: The communication of an individual’s political opinions, beliefs, preferences or positions through speech, writing, social media posts, discussions and other forms of communication.

Political Mobilisation: The process through which individuals or organizations use communication to encourage people to participate in political or civic activities.

Social Media: Internet-based platforms that allow users to create, share, discuss and interact with content, including platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Political Communication Exposure: The extent to which students encounter political messages, information, discussions, campaigns and other forms of political content through media and interpersonal communication.

Tertiary Institution: A post-secondary educational institution such as a university, polytechnic or college of education.

Civic Engagement: The participation of individuals in activities aimed at addressing political, social or community concerns and contributing to public life.

Political Participation: Involvement in activities directly connected with the political process, including voting, campaigning, political meetings, contacting political representatives and expressing political views.

Project – Effect of Political Communication on Youth Civic Participation in Nigeria. A Study of Selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State