Abstract
In recent years, social media influencers have become increasingly prominent, leveraging their large online followership to shape opinions and behaviours, predominantly among youths. Numerous studies have established that youths are now aware of social media influencers and rely on them for information, especially when it’s about living healthily. However, most of these studies were carried out in the United States of America, Europe and Asia, with little evidence on why youths rely on social media influencers for health information in developing countries. The motivation of the study is to investigate the role of social media influencer “Aproko Doctor” in promoting healthy living among University of Ilorin undergraduates. The study was grounded in the source credibility and technological determinism theories. Employing a multi-stage sampling technique, 239 self-administered questionnaires were deployed and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data gathered. Findings revealed that respondents were aware that Aproko Doctor regularly posts health-related contents on his social media handles. Similarly, the findings established that respondents did not find it difficult to adopt and sustain health advice shared by Aproko Doctor on his social media handles due to their current lifestyles. The study concluded that Aproko Doctor plays a significant role in promoting healthy living among University of Ilorin undergraduates. The influencer's credibility, reinforced by his medical background, allows the respondents' trust and willingness to act on the health advice he provides. The study recommends that University Health Services, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should consider partnering with credible social media influencers like Aproko Doctor to amplify health promotion campaigns on and off the campus.