A recent report, the Nigerian Cabinet Social Media Report 2025, published by UK-based digital strategy firm Column, has revealed a significant disconnect between Nigeria’s cabinet ministers and the digital landscape, particularly amongst younger demographics. Despite a combined social media following of over 17 million across five platforms, the study reveals a substantial gap in leveraging key platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn, raising serious questions about the government’s ability to effectively engage with its citizenry in an increasingly digitized world. This digital deficit is especially striking considering Nigeria’s large and youthful population, projected to have 103 million social media users by 2026, a figure that dwarfs the current ministerial reach. The report underlines the urgent need for a comprehensive digital strategy to foster transparency, accessibility, and engagement between the government and the Nigerian people.
The report’s findings expose a skewed distribution of social media presence across the cabinet. While President Tinubu and a small group of ministers, including Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and Ministers Muhammad Ali Pate (Health), Festus Keyamo (Aviation), and Nyesom Wike (FCT), command a substantial following, accounting for over 60% of the cabinet’s total digital footprint, a significant number of ministers lag considerably behind. The median audience size of 64,609 per minister pales in comparison to Nigeria’s over 236 million population, with 39% being active internet users. This disparity reveals a critical accessibility issue, limiting the ability of many Nigerians to engage with their government representatives online. The report highlights the concerning fact that two ministers have no identifiable social media presence whatsoever, further exacerbating the communication gap.
The report underscores the underutilization of platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn, despite their growing influence, especially amongst younger demographics. While the combined ministerial presence is strong on platforms like Twitter (9.4 million followers), Facebook (4.8 million), and Instagram (2.2 million), only a handful of ministers are present on TikTok (7) and LinkedIn (17). This selective engagement raises concerns, suggesting that ministers are prioritizing platforms based on personal comfort rather than strategically targeting audiences, particularly the youth, who represent a significant portion of the population. This approach is counterproductive to effective governance in the digital age, where reaching constituents on their preferred platforms is crucial for building trust and fostering a sense of connection.
The report spotlights Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, as the sole minister actively engaging across all five major platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. While this demonstrates an understanding of the importance of a diversified digital presence, it also highlights the lack of similar proactive engagement from other ministers. The report particularly emphasizes the need for ministries with youth-focused or public-facing mandates, such as Youth, Education, Women Affairs, and Information, to significantly enhance their online presence. These ministries, logically positioned to benefit most from direct digital engagement with their target audiences, ironically have some of the weakest online visibility. This lack of strategic online engagement represents a missed opportunity to connect with key demographics and effectively communicate governmental initiatives.
The report’s findings are not merely a statistical observation of social media usage, but a reflection of a potentially deeper issue of accessibility and transparency within the government. Dr. Mo Shehu, Founder and CEO of Column, emphasizes that online visibility is not about vanity, but a core aspect of public service in the digital age. The lack of robust engagement, particularly from key ministries, hinders trust-building and open communication between the government and its people. As Nigeria’s online population continues to grow rapidly, this digital divide poses a significant challenge to effective governance and citizen engagement, potentially fostering disillusionment and disconnection between the governed and those who govern.
The Nigerian Cabinet Social Media Report 2025 culminates with actionable recommendations for bridging the identified digital gap. The report calls for a strategic shift towards “intentional visibility,” urging ministries to prioritize platform-specific strategies tailored to reach their respective target audiences. This includes leveraging Twitter for real-time updates, Instagram for humanizing leadership, TikTok for engaging youth, LinkedIn for establishing policy credibility, and Facebook for community building. The report also advocates for investing in digital infrastructure, specifically by establishing dedicated communication teams within ministries and providing training for ministers on effectively leveraging social media. These recommendations offer a roadmap for the Nigerian government to enhance its digital engagement, improve accessibility, and foster greater transparency and trust with its citizens in the evolving digital landscape.
