Examining Environmental Discourses on Energy Utilisation in Select Nigerian Newspapers

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which select Nigerian newspapers reflect the different environmental discourses pertaining to the use of clean or unclean energy sources. It undertakes a content analysis of newspaper articles in 156 weekly issues of published energy sections of three major Newspapers in Nigeria: The Guardian, The Punch and The Nation for all of 2013 – the year Nigeria implemented the privatisation of its power (electricity) industry and gearing up for a similar initiative for the petroleum sector. The study hinged on sustainability discourses as well as framing and environmental communication theories. Four approaches underpin it: I. A survey of the occurrence of energy issues in the sample. 2. Examination of the frames in which the sample engages on energy/environmental discourses. 3. Ascertainment of the perceptible voices prevalent in the coverage/discourses of energy issues. 4. Determination of the existence of any divide in the discourse/coverage of energy issues. Based on the findings of the study, the authors conclude that the three analysed newspapers showed a lopsided coverage of energy issues by ignoring or neglecting renewable energy issues while concentrating on oil, gas and electricity industry; depicting energy issue mainly as a business/economic frame, among others and thus contributed little or nothing to the sustainability discourse in Nigeria.

Keywords: Renewable Energy, Content Analysis, Sustainability