Exploring the Realities and Prospects of Youtube in Nigeria

The advent of the Internet has brought with it the reality of social media. They are still incipient in Nigeria but growing. This is especially true of YouTube, the video streaming website. Hinged on the Uses and Gratification, Agenda Setting and Public Sphere theories, this study assessed YouTube videos to determine the construction of representations of Nigeria. It adopted a mixed method to assess YouTube’s influence on its audience. Content analysis of videos showed a preponderance of entertainment, though news and information, religion, aid work and commercials were also visible. A multiple regression of eight carefully selected cases of expectations (predictors) against a criterion of satisfaction was carried out, collectively giving rise to a significant model (F8,78 = 4.268, p < 0.0005). Individually, however, two of the eight were significant with the remaining six less consequential, thereby giving an insight into YouTube’s influence on the respondents. The paper canvasses the eradication of identified barriers as a way of realizing the potentials of social media in the country. Key Words: Nigeria, YouTube, Expectations, Satisfactions, Social Media. JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 5, No. 1, April 2013, 41 – 56 ©Delmas Communications Ltd. About the authors *Dr. Oladokun Omojola is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. **Ngozi Doris Morah is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Madonna University, Okija, Anambra. State, Nigeria.