Empirical Study of the Effect of Political Satire on Political Knowledge and Engagement Among Nigerian Youth

Political satire, delivered through social media, comedy shows, and online video, has been proposed as a mechanism for engaging politically disinterested youth, but its specific effects on political knowledge and engagement among Nigerian youth have not been empirically tested. This study empirically examined the effects of political satire exposure on political knowledge and civic engagement intention among Nigerian youth. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining a quasi-experiment with a survey component. In the experimental component, 180 young adults in Abuja aged 18 to 30 were assigned to watch 20 minutes of Nigerian political satire content (drawn from Basketmouth, The Other News, and similar platforms), straight political news, or entertainment content as a control. Political knowledge tests were administered before and after viewing. Survey data captured existing engagement levels, satire consumption habits, and civic attitudes. Experimental results showed that satire viewing produced significant increases in political knowledge scores comparable to straight news (F = 12.4; p < 0.001), while also producing significantly higher self-reported civic engagement intention than both straight news and entertainment conditions (p < 0.01). Satire effects were strongest for participants with below-median political interest scores, suggesting that satire is effective precisely for the disengaged target audience. The study provides original experimental evidence supporting investment in political satire as a democratic communication strategy for Nigerian youth engagement and recommends media policy support for domestic political comedy content development. Keywords: political satire, civic engagement, Nigerian youth, experimental design, political communication