PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF AI-ENHANCED MEDIA COVERAGE ON SPORTS PARTICIPATION AMONG PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NORTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced media coverage on sports participation among persons with disabilities in the North-West Zone of Nigeria. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. The population comprised 595 registered athletes with disabilities, from which a sample of 234 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling and simple random sampling within each stratum. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data, while Chi-square statistics tested the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. A criterion mean of 3.0 was used for decision-making. The findings revealed that AI-enhanced print media coverage significantly influenced sports participation among persons with disabilities, with a calculated Chi-square value of 160.91. AI-integrated audio media coverage also had a significant influence, with a calculated Chi-square value of 117.28. Both calculated values exceeded the critical value of 9.49, leading to the rejection of the null hypotheses. The study concluded that AI-enhanced media coverage significantly enhances sports participation among persons with disabilities in the North-West Zone of Nigeria. It was recommended that government agencies and relevant stakeholders provide subsidized or free access to AI-driven audio and audio-visual media platforms. The study also recommended implementing digital literacy programmes and inclusive policies to improve accessibility, reduce technological barriers and encourage greater participation in sports among persons with disabilities.