Role of Public Relations in Promoting Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria
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Abstract
Despite the global relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nigeria continues to experience weak public engagement, limited comprehension, and low participation, suggesting a persistent communication gap between policy intentions and public response. This study examined the role of public relations (PR) in promoting the SDGs in Nigeria, with particular focus on its influence on awareness, understanding, and participation in SDG-related programmes. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, using a structured questionnaire administered to 400 respondents in Abuja, Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that public relations strategies particularly mass media, digital platforms, and NGO collaborations are widely used and significantly associated with SDG awareness (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). However, PR showed weak relationships with SDG understanding (r = 0.18, p < 0.05) and participation (r = 0.12, p < 0.05). Respondents reported high awareness of the SDGs but demonstrated low conceptual understanding and very limited participation in SDG-related activities. Key constraints identified include information overload, limited trust in public communication, low literacy levels, poor contextual relevance, and inadequate use of local languages, all of which undermine the effectiveness of public relations in promoting the SDGs. The study concludes that while PR effectively generates SDG awareness in Nigeria, it is insufficient in fostering deep understanding and behavioural participation. It recommends a shift toward more dialogic, participatory, and culturally grounded communication approaches to enhance SDG effectiveness. The study contributes to development communication literature by extending Excellence Theory and Stakeholder Theory to SDG communication in Nigeria, highlighting the persistent gap between awareness creation and behavioural change.
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