Exploring the Predictive Power of Subjective Norms on Population Census Participation Among Urban Residents in Lagos, Nigeria

Kehinde Oyesomi ORCID iD, Olanrewaju Fasakin ORCID iD & Evaristus Adesina  ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.6 No.9 Article 34 pp. 2216 – 2231
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256934 | Published online 28th August, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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This study investigates the behavioural intentions of residents in Lagos, Nigeria, towards participation in the national population census through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Specifically, it examines the influence of attitude, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms on future census participation. The study employed a quantitative research design using survey data from 500 respondents across selected local government areas in Lagos State. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Three hypotheses were formulated. Hypothesis one (H01) tested whether attitude significantly influences behavioural intention; hypothesis two (H02) evaluated the effect of perceived behavioural control. The results revealed that all three constructs had statistically significant positive effects on residents’ intentions to participate in the census. Notably, hypothesis three demonstrated that subjective norms significantly influence behavioural intentions (β = 0.596, t = 5.782, p < 0.000), with an R² value of 0.356 and an effect size (F²) of 0.552, indicating a strong effect. These findings suggest that perceived social pressure from significant others—such as family, peers, and community leaders—plays a vital role in shaping intentions toward census participation. The model showed acceptable reliability and validity, with satisfactory model fit indices (SRMR = 0.069, NFI = 0.924). The study concludes that strengthening community advocacy and leveraging social influencers can enhance census participation in Lagos. These insights provide actionable guidance for policymakers and census officials seeking to boost public engagement and accurate data collection in future census exercises.

Keywords: Census, Information sources, Population, Subjective Norm

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Dr. Kehinde Oyesomi is an accomplished Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies and Immediate Past Head of the Department of Mass Communication at Covenant University. With a strong academic background, including a PhD in Mass Communication (2013) and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Communications from North-West University, South Africa (2018), Dr. Oyesomi has established herself as a respected researcher and scholar. Her research interests span media, gender, children, youth, health communication, and marketing communications, with a particular passion for women’s and children’s issues, minority language media research, and gender-based violence projects. Notably, she recently coordinated a team that won the CODESRIA Meaning Research Initiative 2025 grant, valued at $25,000.

Mr. Olanrewaju Fasaqkin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and later obtained a master’s degree from Covenant University in Ota. He has enhanced his education by completing several high-quality marketing research courses, focusing on customer experience measurements and product testing, organised by the Burke Institute in Cincinnati, USA, and the Market Research Society in the UK.

Dr. Evaristus Adesina is a Researcher and a Lecturer of communication and media studies, with high enthusiasm for identifying social problems and proffering solutions through positional and empirical research. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Northwest University, South Africa. His areas of research include, among others; Health and Development Communication, Public relations, Mass Media and Society. His scholarly contributions have garnered international recognition, reflected in his strong presence in leading global research databases.

Oyesomi, Kehinde, Olanrewaju Fasakin, and Evaristus Adesina. “Exploring the Predictive Power of Subjective Norms on Population Census Participation Among Urban Residents in Lagos, Nigeria,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 9 (2025): 2216 – 2231, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256934

© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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