Bridging the Gap Between Legislators and Citizens: An Evaluation of Live Parliamentary Broadcasting in Nigeria (Published)
Knowledge and access to information about the activities of Parliament remains a major challenge in Nigeria. In Some cases citizens are not even aware of who are their representative at the National Assembly. This study examines live broadcasting of Nigeria’s National Assembly proceedings as an instrument for public enlightenment and democratic engagement, investigating how real time media coverage enhances citizens’ knowledge of legislative processes. The research adopts a survey research design, drawing on both primary and secondary data collected through questionnaire and a review of relevant literature. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Findings reveal that television remains the dominant source of parliamentary information among respondents. The study establishes that live transmission of parliamentary proceedings substantially improves public knowledge of legislative activities. Key challenges identified include poor broadcast signal reception and the exclusive use of English in live commentary. The study recommends multi-platform coverage of legislative proceedings and translation of live commentary into indigenous languages
Keywords: Democracy, Media, elected representatives, legislative process, live coverage., nigeria's national assembly, parliamentary proceedings