Analysis of Cartoons and Comics as Political Commentary in Nigerian Newspapers

This study analyses editorial cartoons and comic strips as instruments of political commentary in selected Nigerian national newspapers, examining their content, themes, and satirical strategies. Editorial cartoons occupy a unique position in press commentary, communicating complex political critiques through visual metaphor and humour in ways that transcend the limitations of written text. In the Nigerian media landscape, cartoons have historically been among the bravest forms of political criticism. This study applies visual content analysis to 240 editorial cartoons published in The Punch, Vanguard, and Daily Trust from January 2022 to December 2023. Analysis assesses recurring subjects (politicians, institutions, policies), symbolic imagery used, tone (critical, humorous, didactic), and alignment with the editorial position of each newspaper. A qualitative interpretive analysis of 20 purposively selected cartoons provides deeper semiotic analysis. Findings reveal that President/Presidency and the National Assembly are the most frequent cartoon subjects, collectively accounting for 52 percent of content. Economic themes including inflation, fuel prices, and poverty are the most common policy focus, reflecting the economic anxieties of the period. The Punch shows the sharpest critical tone, while Daily Trust employs more balanced satirical approaches. Female politicians and the gender dimension of governance are almost entirely absent from political cartoons across all three papers. The study concludes that editorial cartoons are an important and undervalued genre of political commentary in Nigerian newspapers. It recommends research into audience reception of cartoon political messaging and support for cartooning as a journalism specialisation.

Keywords: editorial cartoons, political commentary, Nigerian newspapers, visual analysis, press satire.