The Role of Broadcast Media in Assessing Government Agricultural Development Strategies in Nigeria's Post-Subsidy Era

This study evaluated the effective communication as a key to agribusiness management and sustainable development in Nigeria. The development media theory was adopted as a theoretical framework. This study adopted a qualitative research method to explore how broadcast media assess and communicate government agricultural development strategies in Nigeria’s postsubsidy era. The population consists of three key stakeholder groups: 36 farmers, 40 media personnel, and 47 policymakers across selected states with significant agricultural activities. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select 30 participants, comprising 15 farmers, 10 media professionals (broadcast journalists, editors, and producers), and 5 policymakers from relevant government agencies and agricultural institutions. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews and data analysis followed a thematic approach, where responses were transcribed, coded, and categorised into emerging themes that reflect patterns in media coverage, policy evaluation and stakeholder engagement. The findings revealed that broadcast media play a crucial role in disseminating agricultural policies in Nigeria, particularly through radio and television; however, their effectiveness is hindered by overreliance on government press releases, limited investigative journalism and inadequate farmer engagement. The study concluded that while Nigerian broadcast media serve as vital channels for disseminating agricultural policies, their overreliance on government narratives and limited investigative reporting weaken their effectiveness in providing comprehensive and balanced information to farmers and stakeholders. The study recommended that broadcast media should enhance investigative journalism and reduce overreliance on government narratives to ensure balanced and comprehensive coverage of agricultural policies