MASS MEDIA MANDATE AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT IN AN ERA OF DIGITAL ECONOMY IN NIGERIA

The study investigated the extent to which the mass media have been employed by select organizations to promote and improve human capacity development in an era of digital economy in Nigeria. The main objective of the study is to ascertain media use and predominant media for human capacity development among the select organizations. Premised on the Uses and Gratification Media Theory, the researcher surveyed 25 representatives of various organizations cooperating institutions and small- and large-scale businesses using well-constructed 4 points Likert scales as instrument through purposive sampling method. Findings from the study shows that organizations make use of the mass media for developing their human capacity. Findings from the study revealed that the social media are the predominant mass media platform through which organizations in Nigeria engaged in human capital development. This is as it also shows that information dissemination, online training, orientation of new staff, employees’ education and guidance are some of the ways the organizations used the mass media especially the social media for human capital development in the era of digital economy in Nigeria. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded among others that the social media play a vital role in human capital development in the era of digital economy in Nigeria. The researcher therefore recommended among other things that organisations in Nigeria should fully integrate the digital media platforms in all their activities in order to achieve success in the digital economy.