Community media practitioners have called for greater inclusion in Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general election, arguing that grassroots news organisations can play a significant role in voter education, local issue reporting and the dissemination of credible electoral information.

The practitioners, in a statement issued in Lagos on September 30, said electoral communication should extend beyond national television stations, newspapers and major digital platforms to the communities where voters live and participate in elections.

Under the theme “Politics is Local, Community Media is Local,” they argued that while national media provides broad reach and digital platforms offer speed, community media brings proximity and local context to electoral reporting.

“Every ballot is cast in a community, and every national electoral outcome begins with choices made by citizens at the grassroots,” the statement said.

The practitioners noted that community newspapers, magazines, radio initiatives and digital platforms routinely cover neighbourhoods, markets, wards and other local institutions, giving them direct knowledge of issues affecting residents.

They described community media as part of the “last mile” of democratic communication, particularly in reaching citizens with information about elections and issues within their immediate communities.

Ahead of the 2027 polls, the practitioners said community media organisations could contribute to voter education, grassroots issue reporting, candidate engagements, debates and town halls, fact-checking and efforts to counter electoral misinformation.

They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, development partners, election observers and security institutions to give credible community media organisations greater consideration in election-related engagements.

The proposed areas of participation include stakeholder consultations, voter education programmes, media training and accreditation, debates, town halls and other election-information initiatives.

According to the statement, the request should not be interpreted as a demand for political patronage.

“A seat at the table is not a demand for political patronage. It is a call for those closest to Nigeria’s communities to be included when decisions are made about communicating with those communities,” the practitioners said.

The group also acknowledged that greater involvement in the electoral process would place greater professional responsibilities on community journalists and publishers.

It said participating organisations must maintain accuracy, fairness, fact-checking and editorial independence, while keeping a clear distinction between journalism and partisan political communication.

“Our role is not to determine how citizens should vote, but to help create an environment where they can hear competing perspectives, interrogate those seeking public office, understand the electoral process and make informed choices,” the statement said.

The practitioners warned that community trust should not be exchanged for short-term political advantage.

They maintained that grassroots information networks should not remain on the margins of election communication when much of Nigeria’s political participation ultimately takes place within communities.

“Politics is local. The voter is local. The issues are local. Community media is local,” the statement concluded.

Kosofe Inside Out will continue to follow developments around voter education, election administration and political engagement affecting residents of Kosofe as preparations for the 2027 general election progress.