Digital Misinformation and Public Health Communication in Nigeria: Challenges, Trust and the Role of Social Media
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The rapid expansion of social media has transformed public health communication in Nigeria by creating opportunities for rapid information dissemination, audience engagement and health promotion, while simultaneously facilitating the circulation of digital health misinformation. This study examined digital misinformation and public health communication in Nigeria, with particular attention to the challenges posed by misinformation, the role of trust and source credibility, and the capacity of social media to support effective health communication. The study adopted a qualitative library-based research design and reviewed relevant literature published primarily between 2022 and 2026. Literature was identified through searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect and African Journals Online. The selected literature (n=21) was subjected to qualitative thematic analysis across five themes: social media and public health communication; production and circulation of digital health misinformation; source credibility, trust and audience evaluation; digital and health literacy; and communication strategies for addressing misinformation. The review indicates that social media can strengthen public health communication through its reach, interactivity, peer influence and capacity for targeted messaging, but these affordances also facilitate the rapid circulation of misleading health information. The literature further indicates that trust, source credibility, digital and health literacy, and audience engagement shape how health information is evaluated and acted upon. The study concludes that addressing digital health misinformation requires integrated communication strategies combining proactive monitoring, credible messengers, community engagement, digital and health literacy, timely correction and culturally appropriate messaging.
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