Media Exposure, Economic Literacy and Public Awareness of the Implication of Oil Subsidy Removal in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria

This paper sets out to investigate the influence of media exposure and economic literacy on public awareness of the implications of the fuel subsidy removal in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria. Given the significant economic and social consequences associated with subsidy policies, the research aimed to determine how media engagement and economic understanding shape citizens’ awareness of the policy’s impact. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design and utilized a structured questionnaire titled Media Exposure and Public Awareness Survey (MEPAS) for data collection. The instrument’s content and construct validity was done through experts who used face validity to validate the instrument. Data were analyzed using simple regression techniques. The findings revealed that public awareness of the implications of subsidy removal is generally high. Media exposure and economic literacy emerged as significant predictors of this awareness, indicating that individuals who frequently access media and understand basic economic concepts are more likely to recognize the real-life effects of subsidy removal, such as increased costs of goods and services and general inflation. The study concludes that improving media communication and promoting economic literacy are crucial for effective policy implementation. It recommends among others that policymakers and stakeholders use mass media and civic education programs to educate the public on economic reforms. Doing so will ensure greater transparency, engagement, and support for future policy directions.

Keywords: Media exposure, Economic literacy, Public awareness, Subsidy removal, Policy implications, Niger