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This investigation aims to understand how disinformation frames affect public attitudes toward science and health information in Nigeria.

February 8, 2026Open Access

Role of Disinformation Frames in Shaping Public Perception of Science and Health Information among Nigerians: The Aproko Doctor GMO Controversy

Key Points

This investigation aims to understand how disinformation frames affect public attitudes toward science and health information in Nigeria.
Qualitative frame analysis of social media discourse across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Case study focused on the July 2025 GMO controversy
Identification of dominant disinformation frames and counter-framing strategies
Three dominant disinformation frames were identified: 'Western Poisoning', 'Corporate Greed', and 'Cultural Betrayal'
Disinformation was more effective due to emotional and culturally resonant narratives rather than factual accuracy
Counter-framing strategies using scientific evidence were largely ineffective against emotionally charged narratives

Abstract

This paper examines how disinformation frames influence public perception of science and health information in Nigeria, using the July 2025 GMO controversy involving medical influencer Aproko Doctor and the Gates Foundation as a case study. Through qualitative frame analysis of social media discourse across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram during July 15-31, 2025, three dominant disinformation frames are identified that successfully challenged evidence-based science communication: the “Western Poisoning” frame, the “Corporate Greed” frame, and the “Cultural Betrayal” frame. Analysis reveals that disinformation prevailed not through superior factual content, but through strategic deployment of culturally resonant narratives, emotional appeals, and simplified messaging that aligned with existing suspicions about Western institutions rooted in colonial histories of medical exploitation. Counter-framing strategies relying on scientific evidence and institutional authority proved ineffective against these emotionally charged, culturally embedded narratives. Drawing on postcolonial science and technology studies, emotional framing theory, and comparative analysis of vaccine hesitancy in sub-Saharan Africa, findings demonstrate the urgent need for pre-emptive, culturally grounded science communication strategies that acknowledge historical power asymmetries in Nigeria’s complex information ecosystem.

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