Despite amassing a combined social media following of over 17 million Nigerians, most of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet ministers are ignoring key platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn, a new report has revealed.

The Nigerian Cabinet Social Media Report 2025, published by UK-based digital strategy firm Column, highlighted a significant digital disconnect between the government and its citizens, raising questions about accessibility, transparency, and engagement in an increasingly connected world.

The report obtained by Saturday PUNCH found that the 51 ministers collectively command an audience of approximately 17 million followers across five major platforms. They maintain an active presence on Twitter, collectively reaching 9.4 million followers. Facebook and Instagram follow with 4.8 million and 2.2 million followers, respectively.

However, only seven ministers are on TikTok, and just 17 use LinkedIn, despite the platforms’ growing influence. While this figure may seem substantial, it is low in comparison to Nigeria’s population of over 236 million, where 39 per cent of residents are active internet users, and social media penetration is projected to reach 103 million users by 2026.

“This imbalance is striking, especially given Nigeria’s youthful population and the government’s commitment to digital transformation,” the report stated. “Ministers are engaging where they feel comfortable, not necessarily where their constituents are.”

The report singled out a few high-performing figures, including President Tinubu (4.5 million followers), Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila (1.6 million), Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate (1.46 million), Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo (1.37 million), and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike (1.33 million). Together, these five account for more than 60 per cent of the cabinet’s total digital footprint.

In contrast, many other ministers lag significantly behind, with two having no identifiable social media presence at all. The median audience size per minister is only 64,609, raising questions about accessibility and inclusion in government communication.

One standout is the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who is the only minister active on all five major platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

The report warned that ministries with youth-focused or public-facing mandates, including Youth, Education, Women Affairs, and Information, are among the least visible online, despite having the most to gain from digital engagement.

With Nigeria’s social media user base projected to hit 103 million by 2026, the current reach of 17 million represents a small fraction of the potential audience.

“Visibility is not about vanity, it’s a core part of public service,” said Founder and CEO of Column, Dr. Mo Shehu, who led the study. “If ministers aren’t where the people are, trust and transparency suffer.”

The report concludes with actionable recommendations for Nigeria’s cabinet to bridge the digital gap. First, it calls for intentional visibility, urging ministries, especially those with youth and social development mandates, to prioritise platform-specific strategies.

Twitter is ideal for real-time updates, Instagram for humanizing leadership, TikTok for youth engagement, LinkedIn for policy credibility, and Facebook for community-building.

It advocated for infrastructure, including dedicated digital communication teams and training for ministers to understand the value of online presence.