From Awareness to Compliance Government Social Media Communication and Citizens’ Behaviour toward NIN–SIM Registration in Nigeria
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Government communication has increasingly shifted toward digital platforms, positioning social media as a strategic tool for public policy dissemination and behavioural influence. In Nigeria, the National Identification Number–SIM (NIN–SIM) registration policy relied heavily on social media to raise awareness and encourage compliance. However, empirical evidence explaining how such communication moves citizens from awareness to actual compliance remains limited. This study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 371 residents of Lafia Metropolis, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire. The instrument measured exposure to government social media messages, levels of policy awareness, perceived message effectiveness, and self-reported compliance behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviations. Findings reveal high exposure to government social media communication, with 91% of respondents accessing NIN–SIM information online and 88% demonstrating clear policy understanding. Furthermore, 91% reported that social media messages influenced their decision to comply with the registration requirement. Despite these positive outcomes, structural challenges such as unreliable internet connectivity and high data costs (72%) and exposure to misinformation (69%) constrained communication effectiveness. The study confirms that government social media communication extends beyond awareness creation to actively shape compliance behaviour, consistent with the Technology Acceptance Model.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
How to Cite
References
Adams, E. J., & Dorcas, B. (2024). Ethical Issues of Social Media in Nigeria. Indonesian Journal of Public Administration Review, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.47134/par.v1i2.2295
Adeleke, R., Iyanda, A. E., Osayomi, T., & Alabede, O. (2022). Tackling female digital exclusion: drivers and constraints of female Internet use in Nigeria. African Geographical Review, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/19376812.2021.1963296
Antwi-Boasiako, J., & Nyarkoh, E. (2021). Government Communication during the Covid-19 Pandemic; the Case of Ghana. International Journal of Public Administration, 44(11–12). https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2020.1841792
Asan, A. A., Akpor, E. D., Olley, W. O., Omosotomhe, S. I., Chukwu, O. J., Dauda, J. A., & Abdulazeez, I. (2024). Rethinking Social Media Ethics in Nigeria. International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Scope, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.47857/irjms.2024.v05i02.0177
Bello, B., & Abdullahi, M. M. (2021). Farmers–Herdsmen Conflict, Cattle Rustling, and Banditry: The Dialectics of Insecurity in Anka and Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nigeria. SAGE Open, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211040117
Bloomfield, J., & Fisher, M. (2019). Quantitative research design. Journal of the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Association, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.33235/jarna.22.2.27-30
Chafik, M., & Benjelloun, A. (2025). Mapping the field of government communication: A bibliometric analysis. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(10). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025521
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Entradas, M., Bauer, M. W., Marcinkowski, F., & Pellegrini, G. (2024). The Communication Function of Universities: Is There a Place for Science Communication? Minerva, 62(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-023-09499-8
Fosu, M., & Koah, R. E. (2023). Communication and civic education in Ghana: an analysis of the national commission for civic education and its external communication practices. African Journal of Social Issues, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/ajosi.v5i1.11
Fuchs, C. (2017). From digital positivism and administrative big data analytics towards critical digital and social media research! European Journal of Communication, 32(1), 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323116682804
Getliffe, K. (2008). Quantitative Research Designs. In Research and Development in Clinical Nursing Practice. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470699270.ch7
Golob, U., Podnar, K., & Zabkar, V. (2023). Sustainability communication. International Journal of Advertising, 42(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2144035
Hansson, S. (2024). Coercive impoliteness and blame avoidance in government communication. Discourse, Context and Media, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2024.100770
Hofmeister, M. (2024). Effective Communication. In Clinical Laboratory Management: Third Edition. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781683673941.ch8
Inegbedion, H., Asaleye, A., & Obadiaru, E. (2023). Competitive behaviour of major GSM firms’ internet data pricing in Nigeria: A game theoretic model approach. Heliyon, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12886
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Kazembe, M. D., Varshney, S., & Gupta, K. (2025). Cybersecurity Incidents in Relation to Fraudulent SIM Card Registration in Malawi. Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics, 482. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3460-6_12
King, K. (2024). Roles of Telecommunications Industry and the National Communications Commission, etc. in Suppression of Cybercrime and Terrorism in Nigeria. International Journal of Legislative Drafting and Law Reform. https://doi.org/10.61955/kqoxzi
Kondowe, E. (2021). Strengthening Communication and Information Capacities in Malawi: Case of the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO. Journal of Development and Communication Studies, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.4314/jdcs.v8i2.2
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Lee, J. W. (2024). Diffusion of innovations. In Encyclopedia of Sport Management, Second Edition. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035317189.ch157
McCorkindale, T., & Distaso, M. W. (2014). The state of social media research: Where are we now, where we were and what it means for public relations. Research Journal of the Institute for Public Relations, 1(1).
Novosel, L. M. (2022). Understanding the Evidence: Quantitative Research Designs. Urologic Nursing, 42(6). https://doi.org/10.7257/2168-4626.2022.42.6.303
Oni, D., Arshad, E., & Pham, B. N. (2023). Cybercrime On Social Media In Nigeria: Trends, Scams, Vulnerabilities and Prevention. Advances in Multidisciplinary and Scientific Research Journal Publication, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.22624/aims/csean-smart2023p17
Radwan, A. F., & Mousa, S. A. (2020). Government Communication Strategies during Coronavirus Pandemic: United Arab Emirates Lessons. Journal of Health Management, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063420983091
Sergeant, S., & Mongrain, M. (2014). An online optimism intervention reduces depression in pessimistic individuals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(2), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035536
Silvallana, D. F. V., & Hagling, M. G. (2023). Communicating about the Counterinsurgency Program in the Philippines: Local Government Communication Practices. Journalism and Media, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4030049
Slater, P., & Hasson, F. (2025). Quantitative Research Designs, Hierarchy of Evidence and Validity. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.13135