Influence of Radio in Shaping Public Perception of Lagos State’s Mega City Project: A Study of Residents of Ikeja and Surulere Local Government Areas

Abstract

The study examined the influence of radio in shaping public perception of Lagos State's Mega City Project. The study population was drawn from the residents of Ikeja and Surulere Local Government Areas of the State. Lagos State is the most populated city in Nigeria, estimated at about 21 million people. In order to be amongst the countries of the world which are termed as mega cities, Lagos commenced her own mega city project in 1999. The Project is ongoing. The study aimed to: ascertain the level of exposure to the radio medium by residents of Ikeja and Surulere Local Government Areas; determine the frequency of exposure of the residents to reports on the Lagos Mega City Project; and ascertain the views of the residents concerning the Project. Theoretical leanings of the study centred on two theories of the mass media - Agenda Setting and Developmental Media. The research method adopted was survey, through the instrumentality of questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used to sample 100 respondents from the local government areas, which had a return rate of 99%. The data gathered and analysed showed that majority of the respondents listen to radio (76.8%) while the others (23.2%) responded otherwise. Also, a higher percentage of respondents listen to radio occasionally (32.6%) compared to other respondents. In terms of awareness of the Lagos Mega City Project, 73.7% of respondents affirmed to be aware while 25.3% were unaware. Radio was the medium through which the respondents received information concerning the Project (32.9%). Majority of the respondents (67.1%) perceived the Project as a welcome development, 8.2% do not like the Project, and 19.2% were indifferent towards it. In terms of understanding the Project, 70.3% of the respondents said they did, but 16.2% did not, while 13.5% were indifferent. Findings revealed that radio is a veritable medium of communication and that the audience is aware of the mega city project and have a good understanding of the Project by the government. The paper recommended that the government should intensify awareness using various means of communication at the grassroots, give priority to feedbacks from citizens on how the Project affects them, and to partner with foreign investors to achieve the mega city dream.

Keywords: Lagos, mega city, development, urban