Analysis of Citizens' Engagement Patterns and Comments on the Nigerian Government's framing of the 2016 Rice Policy on Facebook and X Platforms

Background:The use of social media platforms by governments to communicate policy decisions and engage with citizens has become increasingly popular. In Nigeria, the government has utilized social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to disseminate information and solicit feedback on various policy initiatives.In 2016, the Nigerian government introduced a new rice policy aimed at promoting self-sufficiency in rice production and reducing dependence on imports. The policy was announced on various social media platforms, sparking intense debate and discussion among citizens. Objective: This study analysed the engagement pattern and comments of Nigerian citizens on the government's framing of the 2016 rice policy on Facebook and X platforms. Specifically, the study sought to examine how citizens responded to the policy announcement, the nature of their comments and engagements, and the implications of these interactions for policy-making and democratic governance in Nigeria. Method: Forty-eight posts from April to December, 2016 on government accounts - Aso Rock Villa; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Muhammadu Buhari, were content analysed using a coding sheet. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics and presented using frequency tables. Result: The Nigerian government’s use of the social media in driving its rice policy was borne out of the desire to reach more audience about the policy. This the government was able to achieve with the use of pictures, videos and texts which were strategically designed, produced and worded to drive the policy of the government on rice. The engagement patterns, showing those who reacted to the posts of the Nigerian government on the rice policy, indicated that majority of them made use of the Like interactive button, then the Share or Retweet and Comment interactive signals. Conclusion: The study concludes that the Nigerian government made use of the social media – Facebook and X in driving the rice policy. The engagement patterns, showing those who reacted to the posts of the Nigerian government on the rice policy, indicated that majority of them accepted the rice policy of the government. Also, there are more posts on the rice policy on the Facebook handles of the government that the ones on X. Unique Contribution: By examining the online discourse surrounding the 2016 rice policy, this study contributes to our understanding of how social media can be leveraged to enhance citizen engagement and participation in policy-making processes. Key Recommendation: Nigerian government should engage the citizens more on its social media platforms when it comes to policy advocacy. Incentivisation-for-comment could be employed in order to draw their attention to posts on such policies. More social media handlers should be engaged by the government particularly the national orientation agency (NOA) that would sustain social media interactions when a post about government policies like the rice policy is made.