Indigenous Language Use by Newspaper and Radio in Promoting Climate-Smart Agribusiness and Rural Development in Oyo State, Nigeria

Climate change threatens Nigeria’s agricultural sector, making the adoption of ClimateSmart Agribusiness (CSA) practices urgent among rural farming communities. While
indigenous language media are recognised as critical channels for CSA communication, no
study has systematically compared the coverage and impact of Yoruba-language
newspapers and radio stations in Oyo State. This study examined the extent of CSA and
rural development coverage by indigenous language newspapers and radio stations, and
determined which medium had a statistically significant impact on farmers’ CSA adoption
and rural development outcomes. Anchored on the Development Media Theory and Social
Responsibility Theory, a mixed-method design comprising content analysis and survey was
adopted. Three indigenous newspapers (Alaroye, Irohin Yoruba, and Isokan Omo Oodua)
and three radio stations (Amuludun FM, Ajilete FM, and Oke-Ogun FM) were purposively
and stratifiedly sampled. Editions and programmes were content-analysed across one year
(June 2024–2025) using the Composite Week technique, yielding 288 editions and 288
radio programme-days respectively. A questionnaire administered to 300 farmers yielded
295 usable responses, analysed using frequency counts, simple percentages, and chi-square
(χ²) goodness-of-fit tests. Radio devoted a consistently greater proportion of programming
to CSA and rural development than newspapers. Inferential testing confirmed radio’s
statistically significant advantage in perceived impact on rural development [χ²(1) = 17.09,
p < 0.001] and CSA adoption [χ²(1) = 8.14, p < 0.01]. Stakeholders are urged to invest in
indigenous radio programming and integrate it formally into agricultural extension policy.