Examination of Campus Radio and Student Engagement at Federal University of Technology Minna

Campus radio stations serve multiple functions in university communities, including providing practical training for communication students, fostering student engagement, and facilitating institutional communication. This study examined the programming content, listenership patterns, and student engagement impact of the campus radio station at the Federal University of Technology Minna in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining a structured questionnaire administered to 200 randomly selected students with semi-structured interviews conducted with eight campus radio staff and student presenters. Listenership data and programming schedules were also reviewed. Results showed that 61.5 percent of students listened to the campus radio at least once weekly, primarily through smartphone streaming rather than traditional FM radio sets. Entertainment programming was the most popular content category (71.3 percent of respondents), followed by student affairs information (48.5 percent). Students involved in campus radio activities reported significantly higher levels of institutional belonging and communication skill development compared to non-participants (p < 0.01). Major barriers to engagement included limited awareness of streaming access options and a perception that campus radio content was insufficiently relevant to student academic and social concerns. The study recommends that campus radio stations in Nigerian federal universities enhance programming relevance through student co-production, adopt digital-first distribution strategies, and formalise campus radio as a practicum component of all mass communication and journalism programmes. Keywords: campus radio, student engagement, university broadcasting, Federal University Minna, North Central Nigeria