Media Visibility and Female Political Participation in Nigerian Politics: A Study of the 2023 General Election

Abstract

Media engagement in promoting political participation among both men and women is critical. Because the media are a primary source of political information in developing countries and provide platforms for diverse interest groups (Mukhongo & Macharia, 2016), their performance warrants close attention, particularly in light of the decline in the number of women elected or appointed to public office after Nigeria's 2023 general election. Although women constitute nearly half of the population, Nigeria continues to lag behind regional and global benchmarks for women's representation and inclusion in decision-making. Drawing on symbolic annihilation theory and muted group theory, this study examined the visibility of women politicians across a purposive sample of government-owned and privately owned radio and television stations in Nigeria. A mixed-methods design combined content analysis of election broadcasts, analysis of reports by election-observer groups, and an interview with a woman who contested the 2023 general election on the platform of one of Nigeria's three major political parties. The findings revealed a persistent gender imbalance in coverage that favoured men and reinforced gender inequality. Women political actors had very low media visibility throughout the election period, a pattern that likely contributed to their severe under-representation in governance, where women occupied only 6.7% of political positions.