Social Media and Political Misinformation among Nigerian Youths during the 2023 General Election: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The proliferation of social media has transformed political communication in Nigeria, particularly among youths who increasingly depend on digital platforms for electoral information. However, this transformation has intensified concerns about political misinformation and its implications for informed political participation and electoral credibility. This study systematically reviews the relationship between social media and political misinformation among Nigerian youths during the 2023 general election. The study integrates the Information Disorder Framework, Selective Exposure and Confirmation Bias perspectives, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model to explain the production, circulation, exposure, processing, and acceptance of political misinformation. A systematic review approach guided by PRISMA principles was adopted. Relevant peer-reviewed studies and credible scholarly materials published between 2023 and 2026 were identified, screened, and synthesised thematically, with emphasis on Nigerian evidence complemented by relevant international literature. Findings reveal that social media platforms significantly facilitated the rapid circulation of misleading political claims, manipulated content, partisan narratives, and emotionally charged information during the election. Youth vulnerability was influenced by algorithmic amplification, partisan identity, selective exposure, confirmation bias, low verification practices, source familiarity, peer sharing, and reliance on peripheral information cues. Nevertheless, exposure to misinformation did not automatically produce belief or behavioural effects, as outcomes varied according to political predispositions, digital literacy, source credibility, and information-processing patterns. The study contributes an integrated explanatory framework demonstrating that political misinformation operates through interconnected technological, psychological, social, and political mechanisms. It recommends strengthened digital and media literacy, institutional fact-checking, platform accountability, transparent political communication, and youth-focused verification initiatives to mitigate misinformation and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic communication environment.