How Nigerian Media Erased Women's Pandemic Heroics in Lagos Slums

A study examining Nigerian news coverage during COVID-19 says women in Lagos informal settlements were largely sidelined in how the pandemic was reported. Researchers analyzed articles published between January 2020 and October 2021 from more than 37 online outlets, narrowing the in-depth sample to 17 unique reports from 10 organizations after removing duplicates. While coverage concentrated on the early outbreak and lockdown period, women—who organized savings groups, ran skills programs, and sustained communal care networks—appeared almost entirely absent. Only one of the 17 reports centered women, and women were quoted in ten, entirely missing in seven. When present, they were framed mainly as victims or dependents, with limited agency coded in most stories.