One of the major obstacles to civic engagement in Ilorin West Local Government is the low quality of online government services. This deficiency limits residents’ access to timely and accurate information, reduces effective communication with government authorities and discourages public participation. This study aims to investigate the effect of online service quality on civic engagement, with a particular emphasis on the mediating role of e-government communication experience.
The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and employed a descriptive and correlational design. The population consisted of 364,666 residents of Ilorin West, Kwara State, Nigeria. A sample of 400 respondents was drawn using Taro Yamane’s formula and the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, with items adapted from validated previous studies. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent features and item responses, while inferential analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
The results show that online service quality has a significant and positive effect on civic engagement (ß = 0.556, p < 0.001). In addition, e-government communication experience significantly mediates the relationship between online service quality and civic engagement (ß = 0.375, p < 0.001), indicating that the way citizens experience government communication channels plays an important role in enhancing civic participation.
This study provides a localized understanding of how digital public service delivery influences civic engagement at the grassroots level. Unlike previous studies that focus on national trends, this research reveals the importance of service quality in fostering civic participation within a local government area, thereby contributing new insights to the field of digital governance.
