Mass Media and sustainable development goals in Nigeria: Evaluating the influence of coverage on public awareness and policy support

This study investigates the role of Nigerian mass media in promoting awareness and policy support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), and SDG 4 (Quality Education), amidst Nigeria’s persistent challenges, including a 40.1% poverty rate, 10.5 million out-of-school children, and a maternal mortality rate of 512 per 100,000 live births. Despite the media’s potential to drive SDG engagement, its influence in Nigeria remains underexplored. Employing a triangulatory mixed-methods design, this research combines content analysis of 420 articles from Punch, Daily Trust, and Vanguard (January–December 2024) with a survey of 150 Osun State residents. Findings reveal health (SDG 3) dominated coverage (180 articles) and awareness (67%), with strong correlations between media exposure and awareness (r_pb = 0.45–0.49, p < 0.001), supporting agenda-setting theory. Policy support was high (77%–90%), yet weakly tied to exposure (r_pb = 0.16–0.28), challenging framing theory as positive framing (e.g., 43% for education) did not enhance support. Health’s prominence reflects media prioritisation, while education’s lower coverage (105 articles) signals a gap. The study underscores media’s potency in raising awareness but highlights its limited sway over policy support, influenced more by societal needs than framing. Recommendations include boosting education coverage, adopting solutions-focused reporting, and fostering media-policy partnerships to maximise SDG advocacy. This contributes to media studies and development communication, offering insights for Nigeria’s 2030 Agenda pursuit.