Examining the Research Gap in Participatory Communication Theory Applied to Nigerian Development Communication Contexts

Participatory communication theory, developed largely in Latin American and South Asian contexts, has been applied to development communication in sub-Saharan Africa in ways that merit critical examination to identify the specific theoretical gaps and contextual adaptations required for Nigerian practice. This study examined the research gap in the application of participatory communication theory to Nigerian development communication. A systematic critical review and gap analysis was conducted, identifying 62 publications applying participatory communication frameworks to Nigerian development communication from 2015 to 2024 through nine database searches. Publications were assessed against a theoretical framework taxonomy covering empowerment communication, community dialogue models, participatory media production, and social change communication. The review revealed that while participatory frameworks are widely cited, they are operationally shallow in 67.7 percent of cases, serving as rhetorical rather than methodological commitments. Specific theoretical gaps identified include inadequate attention to power dynamics in Nigerian multi-ethnic communities (present in only 18 of 62 studies), insufficient engagement with religious authority structures as participatory mediators (9 of 62 studies), and neglect of digital participatory forms in 73.4 percent of pre-2022 studies. The study proposes a Nigerian Participatory Communication Framework that extends existing theory to incorporate ethnic brokerage communication, religious authority mediation, and digitally augmented participation. This framework constitutes an original contribution to participatory communication theory grounded in systematic empirical review.

Keywords: participatory communication, development communication, research gap, Nigeria, theoretical review