Digital media use and public engagement in nongovernmental organizations: Reflections from three Sub-Saharan African countries

Citation

Changwony F, Perea D, Afeafa Ry-Kottoh L & Wanyama S (2025) Digital media use and public engagement in nongovernmental organizations: Reflections from three Sub-Saharan African countries. International Public Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2025.2571615

Abstract
The nongovernmental organization (NGO) sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced rapid growth in both the number of local NGOs and the adoption of digital technologies. As NGOs increasingly shift toward service delivery, they face mounting pressure to engage the public and demonstrate accountability. Despite this, little is known about how NGOs in SSA adopt and use digital media—defined here as websites and social media platforms such as Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube—to fulfill these roles. This study investigates digital adoption and public engagement among 5,586 transnational and local NGOs in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. Using data collected from NGO websites and interactive social media platforms, we examine organizational presence and follower counts. Additionally, we conduct a content-level analysis of 3,554,670 tweets from 1,209 NGOs to examine how specific communication styles and levels of media richness influence public engagement on Twitter (X). The findings reveal significant variation in platform adoption and engagement across countries, organizational scope, and causes served. Transnational NGOs consistently demonstrate broader social media presence and more extensive multi-platform use. These results offer important insights for NGOs, policymakers, and researchers interested in digital engagement and accountability in emerging democracies.