New statistics have shown that there is only a meagre volume of media attention to the campaign promises’ implementation by the Bola Tinubu’s administration. This is according to a recent media monitoring report of the International Press Centre (IPC).  This may suggest a lack of adequate depth and methodology for  comprehension of the scope of the campaign promises’ implementation.

The monitoring report which covers the tracking of ten national newspapers for the month of June, 2023 as part of the mechanisms to strengthen the 2023 electoral process in the post election period. The ten (10) newspapers being monitored include: The Punch, The Guardian, Daily Sun, Vanguard, ThisDay, Nigerian Tribune, The Nation, Leadership, Daily Trust, and Daily Independent.

The International Press Centre (IPC) has published the documented campaign promises of the current administration as parts of its interventions to provide the Nigerian media, a veritable instrument for effective engagement and monitoring of the implementation of the campaign promises of the new regime and, by extension holding the government accountable to the people.

The documented campaign promises were tracked and analysed in line with the APC’s campaign promises strategic document: ‘The Renewed Hope’ Manifesto.

Criteria for Eligibility 

To be eligible for inclusion, the media reports being tracked on promises implementation must:

1. focus on a bill signed into law by the president or the actual pronouncement of a policy statement by the president, his aides, or any agency of the Federal Government, so designated to make such a pronouncement which points directly or indirectly to the fulfilment of a specific campaign promise.
2. appear on the front page, editorial page, and other pages (Inside page) excluding adverts pages.

iii. be news, editorials, feature stories, interviews, and not adverts, opinions, columns, or satire.

The campaign promises tracked revolve around the major sectoral issues of agriculture, digital economy, economy, education, foreign policy, judicial reform, national security, oil and gas, power, social program, women and youth empowerment and entrepreneur.

The major observations in the media reporting of the campaign promises implementation of Tinubu’s government include the following:

• 11% (n=111) of the total media reports (1001) tracked in June focused on the implementation of the campaign promises of the president Tinubu’s administration.
• Oil and Gas policies and implementation reports received the highest media attention (40.5%, n=45), while Judicial Reform (0.9%, n=1) received the lowest.

• 61.3% (n=68%) of reports on promises implementation were stuck inside the pages of the newspapers,
• Low prominence was given to the campaign promises on the front page as less than half (27.6%, n=41) of the reports appeared on the front page while the least number (1.8%, n=2) made it on the editorial page.
• In specifics, low prominence was given to National Security (12.2%, n=5) and Social Program (4.9%, n=2), while Oil and Gas received the most prominence (41.5%, n=17)

• Most stories lacked depth as only a few reports (4.5%, n=5) appeared as features, interviews, and editorials while 92.8% (n=103) of the relevant stories were news.

Format of Reports

Most reports (92.7%, n=103) appeared as news with fewer stories published as editorials (2.7%, n=3), Feature (1.8%, n=2) and interviews (1.8%, n=2). 

On specific campaign promises, most reports published as News focused on promises around Oil and Gas (39.6%, n=40), Economy (18.8%, n=19), Education (15.8%, n=16) and National Security (8.9%, n=9). Others published as News were Social Program (5%, n=5), and Power (3%, n=3).

Few In-depth stories recorded. 

Of the total relevant reports (111), stories with depth (including feature, interviews, and editorials) appeared sparingly (4.5%, n=5). These few stories were published only on Oil and Gas (3.6%, n=4) and National Security (0.9%, n=1), leaving the rest out.

Prominence of Reports

The greatest number of the reports (61.3, n=68%) were featured on the inside pages of the newspapers, followed by less than half (27.6%, n=41) on the front page while the least number (1.8%, n=2) were published on the editorial page.

On Specific Sectors (on front page)

Oil and Gas received the most prominence (41.5%, n=17) of all reports published on the front page. Issues of economy followed (19.5%, n=8) and Education (17.1%, n=7).

Others with low prominence were National Security (12.2%, n=5), Social Program (4.9%, n=2), Foreign Policy (2.4%, n=1) and Judicial Reform (2.4%, n=1).

Findings

Below shows the details of volume of media reports that focused on the implementation of the campaign promises across different sectors. These sectors include agriculture, economy, education, social programs, foreign policy, power, oil and gas as well as national security.

Agriculture

The campaign document of the new government highlighted certain variables to achieve the promises made. On Agriculture, two variables were tracked, including the promises to “Expand development of Agro industry” (0.9%, n=1) and to “Incentives for investment” (0.9%, n=) in agriculture.

Specific variables to achieve campaign promise in agriculture

Economy

As part of the campaign promises implementation, media reports focused on policies and programmes on issues of economy in 19 reports (17.1%). One of such stories,  OFFICIAL: CBN abolishes multiple exchange rates set the tone for most of the stories published in June.

Most stories on economy focused on policy statement to “Incentivize international brands with tax credits, rebates and other fiscal incentives” (36.8%, n=7), followed by steps to “incentivize international brands with tax credits, rebates and other fiscal incentives” (36.8%, n=7), to “achieve double digit economic growth (26.3%, n=5) and to “establish commodity exchange board” (15.8%, n=3). 

Other stories showing implementation were focused on steps to “eliminate revenue and expense leakages to increase IGR” (18.5%, n=2), and “Reform civil service to fight corruption and reduce bureaucracy” (18.5%, n=2),

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on Economy.

 Education

15% (n=17) of media reports on policy implementation were focused on Education. One of such steps towards policy implementation was captured in a report, Tinubu Signs Students’ Loans Bill into Law.

Most stories (76.6%, n=13) on education were focused of what was being done on “Open access to student loans”, followed by “steps to Reform education sector by focusing on quality, access and funding” (17.6%, n=3) and the ongoing policies to “Provide more opportunity for education sector” (5.9%, n=1).

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on Education

Social Program

4.5% (n=5) of media reports captured policy implementation on Social Programs as observed in a story like, Nigeria’s Poverty Level Unacceptable, Tinubu Tells Governors

Most stories on Social Program focused on “Introduce new social investment programs” (40%, n=2), while the rest, each (20%, n-1) touched on programmes to “Create a taskforce to address the problem of out of school children,” “Expand National Social Investment Program” and to “Partner with existing industry players to expand access to capital for MSMEs.”

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on Social Programs

Foreign Policy

The only major report captured on Foreign Policy in June focused on steps to “Promote joint industrialization and infrastructural projects” such as reported in a story, Tinubu Embraces France In Early Foreign Policy Shift, which highlights the very first major steps towards foreign policy promises implementation.

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on foreign policy

Power 

The media reports on Power made 2.7% (n=3) of the relevant reports on campaign promises implementation. The most important in that sector was contained in the report showing Tinubu assents to electricity bill, okays states, individuals to generate power. These reports dwelt more on the promises to “empower investors to bring international finance to generate electricity” (60%, n=2) and to ‘relax regulation to enable private and state government to electrify rural Nigeria“(40%, n=1).

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on power.

Oil and Gas

Policy statement on Oil and Gas remained the most reported at 40.5% (n=45). The volume of reports on oil and gas were fuelled by the media reports as in BREAKING: Fuel Subsidy Is Gone, Says Tinubu.

Most of the specific variables dwelt on the decision that has Faced out fuel subsidy (71.1%, n=33), followed by the reports on policy directive to “Strengthen partnership with key producer to modernise oil infrastructure” (8.7%, n=4) and to “enforce gas flaring penalties” (6.5%, n=3).

Others were reports highlighting steps “To increase crude oil production to 2.6mm by 2027 (4.2%, n=2), “Achieve full deregulation of gas prices within 6 month (2.2%, n=1), “implement the petroleum industry act, PIA” (2.2%, n=1), and “To increase indigenous participation and host community development (2.2%, n=1). 

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on oil and gas 

National Security

10.8% (n=12) of media reports on programme implementations bordered on presidential promises on National Security. An instance of this was a report, End oil theft, insecurity, Tinubu tells service chiefs in the first week of June highlights the first direct major step in the implementation of national security promises.

Most of these reports (83.3%, n=10) focused on policy directives to “adopt a proactive security approach to address security threats,” to “collaborate with state and national assembly on laws to secure local communities” (8.3%, n=1) and to “Eliminate attacks on vital national infrastructure” (8.3%, n=1).

Tracking specific variables to achieve campaign promise on national security

In summary:

This report is the first of its series, covering the first monthly tracking endeavour in the post handing-over period (June, 2023). The volume of relevant media stories (11%, n=111) tracked on the implementation of the campaign promises of President Bola Tinubu’s administration is a testament to the media’s commitment to holding the government accountable to the people.

However, the reporting gaps are quite glaring, unveiling the critical weakness in delivering in-depth reporting of major campaign promises. From issues of the utmost attention and priority to the citizens such as it was observed in relation to Oil and Gas policies-cum subsidy removal (40.5%, n=45), to the one on the lowest radar of media focus, that is, the Judicial Reform (0.9%, n=1), most media reports evaluated could not go beyond press releases and briefing, emphasising less adoption of the exhaustive and investigative means of news gathering that provokes critical journalism.

While some media reports highlighted background and contexts to stories, there was no sufficient information for public education and enlightenment. A lot of stories were left for public judgement even when the same public lack adequate understanding of the workings of public policies such as the making of the national register, oil subsidy issue, students loan among others.

Hence, the media needs to rely less on official sources and mere rhetoric around policy statement and focus more on the real impacts of these campaign promises implementation on the people, not politicians.