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NAME: UGWU MUKOSOLU EZINNE, JACKLYN
STUDENT ID. NUMBER:1413722
COURSE:MA, PUBLIC RELATIONS
MODULE: SOCIAL MEDIA AS CULTURE
MODULE LEADER:DAVE HARTE, Ph. D
RESEARCHPAPER (ASSIGNMENT2)
TITLE: The Role of Social Media in Democracy and Governance in Nigeria
CONTENTS
Abstract
Keywords
Research Question
Chapter One ………………………………… Introduction (Pg. 3).
Chapter Two ………………………………… Literature Review (Pg. 6).
Chapter Three ……………………………….. Methodology (Pg. 11).
ChapterFour………………………………….. Findings & Observations (Pg.14).
Chapter Five ………………………………….. Conclusion (Pg.19).
References ……………………………………… (Pg. 21)
Appendices……………………………………… (Pg. 22).

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ABSTRACT
This research paper seeks to examine the ways in which social media
technology is influencing democracy and citizen participation in present day
Nigeria. Set against the backdrop ofthe coming presidential elections in
February, 2015 and the overall political tensions amongst the diverse ethnic
groups that make up the country, the paper shall explore how Nigerians and the
Nigerian government are embracing the use of social media in democratic
processes.The paper also investigates the degree to which Nigerian politicians
and leaders are using social media to engage the Nigerian populace. Moreover,
it shall also consider the rate of participation among Nigerians, particularly the
Nigerian youth since the emergence of social media tools in fair comparison to
what was obtainable in the era of mass media alone.
KEYWORDS
Nigeria, Nigerians, social media, elections, Twitter, Facebook, Nairaland,
GEJ/GMB.
RESEARCHQUESTION
Have social media provided a platform for increased participation in governance
and citizenship for the average Nigerian?

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CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa with a teeming population of
about 170 million people making it the most populous nation in Africa.
According to Ventures Africa (2014), an online source, Nigeria boasts ofabout
57.7 million internet users. This number is expected to rise to 84.3 million by
2018 (Ventures Africa, 2014). A survey conducted by Business DayOnline
(2013)showed that Nigeria is the largest internet market in Africa with a
remarkable growth in internet usage from 0.6% in 2000 to 34% in 2012.
Social media use is therefore not foreign to Nigerians. In a survey carried out
by FactBoundResearchin 2011, 104 Nigerians responded to a questionnaire
and the following findings were made:
 About 95% of them knew what social media is.
 Facebookalone accounted for approximately 95.2% usage among the
Nigerian youth.
 80% of the respondents agreed that social media have impacted their lives
immensely.
 73% said social media had influenced their academic pursuits.
 37% of the respondents were within the 26-33 year age bracket.
Through the years, there has been a sustained growth in the use of
social media for citizen participation and engagement among Nigerians,

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especially Nigerian youths. This was evidenced in the 2011 presidential
elections in the country. The upsurge in Facebookusage saw a massive
number of Nigerians sharing their political views and preferences in the
online community resulting in a positive decision by participants to
exercise their constitutional right to vote. Years after the elections,
Nigerians have continued to use various social networking sites, like
Nairaland, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc, to hold political conversations.
Political leaders have also learned to embrace the use of these tools in
citizen engagement. Sites like budgit1, EiEnigeria2,are being deployed by
Nigerian leaders to hold political conversations with the Nigerian
stakeholders on real time. The incumbent President GoodluckEbele
Jonathan has an active Facebookfan page with about 1,760,066
followers3. Twitter usage is also quickly gaining popularity among
Nigerian Leaders. The presidential running opponent General
Mummamadu Buhari recently joined Twitter in December, 2014 bearing
the handle, @_thisisbuhari4. General Buhari’s running mate Professor
Yemi Osibanjo has also recently joined Twitter @ProfOsibanjo. Some
other Nigerian public figures that are active on Twitter are former
1 Budgit is an onlinesitethat provides detailed information about the nation’s budget (both on Federal and
state levels).URL- www.yourbudgit.com
2 EIEnigeria an acronymfor Enough is Enough Nigeria is an onlineplatformthat insistson good governance and
accountability amongNigerian leaders.URL- eie.ng
3 www.facebook.com/jonathangoodluck?fref=pb&hc_locations=profile_browser
4 General Muhammadu Buhari joined Twitter 22 December, 2014 but has only 895 followers.

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)Nasir El-Rufai , @el-
rufai, the present Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola
@tundefashola, the Rivers State Governor, Chibuke Amaechi
@ChibuikeAmaechi, to mention a few.
This paper proposesto lend credence to the notion that social media are
positively impacting the political behaviour of Nigerians.

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CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature on the impact of social media on democracyand citizenship in
Nigeria is still very much undeveloped as social media and general
internet usage in the country is quite a relative novelty. Secondly, perhaps
it is the notion that social media are mostly tools of informal social
networking and amusement, and therefore should not be given much
academic thought. However, growing research indicates that social
media, even though still nascent, are utilised by governments to engage
their citizens. This is specifically true of Nigeria.
Much of the literature on the subject are largely Western based, in most
cases, American or British. Coleman, observes that new media (including
social media) are transforming civic participation and communication in
the following three ways: 1.) Creating avenues for accessibility of
previously hidden information, by citizens, enabling them to engage more
fully with political authorities. 2.) Creating new spaces fordirect and
unmediated interactions among citizens. 3.) Causing public officers to be
more responsible and accountable due to their increased political
consciousness and involvement. 2001:118.
Citizens can now actively participate in political/democratic issues
using alternative media tools instead of passively observing partisan

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supporters as was the case in the era of traditional mass media alone.
Coleman notes that:
Culturally, the production of radio and television has come to be
associated with a process of mass consumption which does not sit
easily with the requirements of active citizenship. The couch potato
is rarely an engaged citizen. (2001:113)
For active citizenship to thrive, there has to be open, symmetrical
communication lines between the people and their government. Hartley,
acknowledges that citizenship brings with it:
A focus on the relations between a state and the individualwith
connotations of mutualstatus: rights, duties, conduct, allegiance,
obligation, powers and protection. 2010: 235
Macnamara, 2012 expresses an optimism that social media afford
government Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in Australia and New
Zealand new opportunities for engaging citizens in democratic process as
well a ‘play a key role in new forms of rhetorical public sphere.’
(Macnamara, 2012: 81). He however, notes that the level of interaction
can most times be minimal as there is usually a tendency for government
institutions to manage or manipulate online citizen participation and
public opinion through one-way, asymmetrical modes of communication,
in cases where interactions occuron their social network sites.
While Coleman, 2001 notes that new media provide comparative
‘ease and cheapness’ in communicating information, he also identifies a

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challenge that they may pose. The challenge that the virtual world may
bear little relevance on the offline, real world of public affairs. In other
words, active online participants may not be as active offline, when the
chips are down. Alec, 2013 is also not that enthused about the internet or
new media. He argues that ‘the internet has not fostered a new public
sphere, but has accelerated the fragmentation of society into ever more
isolated and introspective private spheres…’ (Alec, 2013: 22).
Moreover, there is the challenge of accessibility and reach. There are
people who have little or no access to the internet as a result of various
socio-economic factors. These demographics often suffer a certain
disconnect from the rapidly advancing world of technology and digital
information. Their civic participation is therefore minimal or nearly non-
existent as they are not equipped with the tools for citizen engagement in
the 21st Century. Unwin, 2011 argues that social media is not as pervasive
and ‘ubiquitous’ as we think. He notes that there still so many places and
people who have no access to social media technology. He further argues
that these group of people suffer an increasing marginalization as the gap
between them and their richer counterparts continue to widen.
However, for all the pessimism on the effect of social media on
democracy, Michael, 2013 holds the view that social media affords ‘new
spaces for communication’ that enable government officials hold mutual
conversations with the public. Michael, 2013 argues that politicians can

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engage the public with some degree of authenticity, while noting also that
this authenticity can make them vulnerable to online attack and abuse.
Arguing in favour of the potentials of Twitter, she states that ‘Twitter can
be used effectively to communicate updates, ask questions, provoke
discussion, challenge mass media discourse, raise awareness and support
social change.’ (Michael, 2013: 45). Michael further argues that on social
media, politicians in their interactions communicate as ‘members of the
primary public rather than as broadcasters of top-downmessages.’ (p.46).
Thus, social media present a level playing field (of a rather utopian
equality between government and citizens) in which politicians and the
public can dialog on the same level.
It is also interesting the way in which social media have paved the way
for expressive creativity among regular, everyday people. According to
Sollis, and Breakenridge:
Social media and Web 2.0 are altering the entire media landscape,
placing the power of influence in the handsof regular people with
expertise, opinions, and the drive and passion to share these opinions.
2009:1
Furthermore, these new media tools are very useful for information
dissemination and information sharing even though they sometimes have
a proclivity for spreading rumours or downright hoaxes. However,
because they provide up to date news and information, the majority of
people are readily inclined to rely on them. Participatory citizenship

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requires that the citizens are well informed about national and even global
issues (for comparative analysis). Ette, advises that for citizens to
actively be involved in politics, it is:
importantfor them to have access to information thatempowers and
equipsthem to act out of knowledgeand notignorance, monitor and
scrutinise state action and to make informed choices during
elections. 2013: 107.
From the foregoing, it does appear that on one side of the divide, there are
those who share the view that social media provide certain democratic ‘liberties’
as canvassed by Unwin, 2011.On the other side exists another group who hold
the view that social media have not contributed any significant change or
transformation in democratic processes. However, if national events in the last 5
years in Nigeria are anything to go by, one might argue that social media
technology has made a considerable impact on the political behaviour of the
average Nigerian.

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CHAPTER THREE:
METHODOLOGY
In conducting this research, two kinds of research methods were adopted,
namely, case study research method and primary research method (combining
qualitative research with quantitative research) to give a clearer understanding
of the topic.
Case studies are useful for illustrating points using real life cases or
examples. According to Gillham:
A case study is one which investigates (an individual, group, institution,
community or a multiple of these) to answer specific research questions …
which has to be abstracted and collected to get the best possible answers to the
research questions. 2010: 1
The author decided to focus on Nigeria as a casestudy becauseNigeria is their
country of origin and they therefore can write on the subject with some measure
of authority. Secondly, the paper presents an opportunity to contribute new
knowledge about the influence of social media technology in one of Africa’s
biggest economies.
It also became necessary to sample the opinion of some Nigerians on the
subject, so primary research in the form of interviews and questionnaires was
conducted. Getting their opinion on the matter was important as they served as a
scale to test the probity of the claim that social media are advancing citizenship
among Nigerians. I found three people who were willing to each grant an
interview.

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According to Rowley:
Interviews are generally used in conducting qualitative research in which the
researcher is interested in collecting ‘facts’, or gaining insightsinto or
understandingof opinions or attitudes, experiences, processes, behaviours or
predictions. Rowley, 2012.
The interviews provided a rather small sample so the researcher decided to take
it a step further. A questionnaire was designed and sent out to various Nigerians
via e-mail, Facebookand Twitter. Rowley, 2012 acknowledges that
questionnaires have one advantage over interviews, and it is because with
questionnaires, the researcher has a lot more reach and more responses than
with individual responses.
Some of the challenges I faced with these methods were:
i. The availability of the respondents-It was quite a challenge to get
hold of interviewees to grant interviews. As will be seen, only 3 were
willing.
ii. Lack of proximity- Two of the interviews had to be conducted via e-
mail as the interviewees are in Nigeria. I had the luxury of a face-to
face interview with only one of them.
iii. Delay in responses-Some of the respondents took a long time before
responding to the questionnaires. This was rather frustrating as I did

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not get patterns I was looking to establish as quickly as I would have
liked due to the small samples at every given time.

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CHAPTER FOUR:
FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
I shall now discuss the role of social media in fostering the growth of
participation in governance and democracyby Nigerians.
One of the people I interviewed, Joanne Oji in responseto a question about her
political consciousness sincethe rise of social media said the following:
I’m more politically awaredue to the real time nature of social media. One gets
news as it drops these days as opposed to waiting for the news at a certain time
of the dayor the newspaperthe following day…
Oji also said ‘I gain followers rapidly when I tweet my thoughts on politics...’
Another interviewee, Omolara said even though she is not active on Twitter,
she goes there regularly to get news updates and other information.
Another interviewee Bankole Olwafemi5 had this to say:
Nigeria’s elections. 2011 and 2012waswhen citizens found a voice via social
media. The OccupyNigeria movement is the biggest case in point. 2015 is when
they will roar once more. But still the most influentialactors on the political
stage are finding waysto manipulateand subvertthe conversation in their
favour. Every trick in the book is in play- spoof, viral smear campaigns, blatant
astroturfing. In response, civil societies are trying to mobilise and use
technology to cut through the noise and help citizens engageproductively.
Personally, I think technology and internet as tools for social changein Nigeria
has not fully matured. Theneedle is twitching, butjust barely.’- Bankole
Oluwafemi.
About 40 respondents responded to the questionnaire that I sent out. 51 percent
said they have become politically conscious and active since the rise of social
5 BankoleOlwafemi is the editor of techcabal.comand writes about technology in Africa,from Lagos in Nigeria.

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media, 22 percent said they have always been politically minded and 20 percent
said they were not sure. 34 percent believed that their voice on social media
does make a difference, 27 percent said sometimes, 20 percent did not think so
and the remaining 17 percent were not sure.
Nigerians and User-GeneratedContent
Nairaland.com is an online social network forum for Nigerians. Created by a
young Nigerian programmer, Seun Osewa in March, 2005, the site has grown to
become a major hub of information sharing and user-generated content in
Nigeria. Nairaland is a forum for discussing everything from
science/technology, programming, entertainment, to politics, (especially
politics). According to an online source, statout.com, 2015 the forum hosts
about 804,319 visitors daily. It also gets about 6,434,552 page views on a daily
basis and has a global traffic ranking of 1,198. As of 18 January, 2015 it had
1,297003 users. These are indicators to just how eager Nigerians are to know, to
be informed and to have their voices heard on current national issues.
On nairaland, people begin conversation threads by posting their thoughts,
personal experiences or news stories on the forum. Others just follow a given
thread and carry on the conversation for as long as it is still interesting until
another subject is up for discussion. Below is a postby a nairaland user and a
reply:

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Post:Police Battle Hoodlums As Jonathan Campaigns In
Bauchi by okiezman(m): 3:30pm:
Security agencies are said to be battling to disperse some suspected opposition thugs in
Bauchi.
Details of the confrontation are sketchy but the incident coincides with the campaign
rally of President Goodluck Jonathan in the Bauchi State capital today, Wednesday.
The convoy of the president was allegedly stoned by some hoodlums in Katsina on
Tuesday.
Details later…
Re: Police Battle Hoodlums As Jonathan Campaigns In
Bauchi by jorlons(m): 5:57pm
Although I condemn this violence which is currently ongoing. I also feel the people are
just responding to how they feel about GEJ and it will be totally unfair to pin it on GMB
or the APC. GEJ is just lucky the southern part of Nigeria is occupied by refined citizens
otherwise he would have received the same treatment.
In some guys opinion GEJ didn't act as the president of the whole Nation he just never
bothered about the North. and I totally agree.
1 Like
Twitter
Another social media site that has become a hotbed for convening young
Nigerians for social and political interactions is Twitter. The micro-blogging
site that allows for only 140 characters per tweet is a burgeoning phenomenon
amongst Nigerians. The site has been remarkable for aggregating young
Nigerians online to put their money where their mouth is, offline. The
#occupynaija protests in January 2012 is a good example. About 2nd January,
2012, the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan announced that the
government had decided to roll back fuel subsidyin Nigeria. It was the
proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back. Fuel subsidyseemed to be the
only perk Nigerians enjoyed even as a major global crude oil producer. Every

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other thing continued to deteriorate. Massive unemployment rates, inadequate
infrastructure, poorgovernance and corruption seemed to be permanent fixtures
in the country. Subsidy removal invariably meant an outrageous hike in the
price of supplies in a country where the majority of the populace were starving
and only a handful merely getting by. All of this was happening alongside the
now more frequent and disturbing Boko Haram scourge. It was just the recipe
for a long, overdue revolution. The Nigerian populace declared a strike at once.
Everyone stayed home, the hike in transportation fares could not be afforded by
the average Nigerian, anyway. The first few days of the strike saw Twitter
becoming a major centre of activity where Nigerians fervently discussed the
unsavoury development. Hashtags like #OccupyNaija, #FuelSubsidy went viral
on Twitter in a matter of days. The #OccupyNaija hashtag was a simulation of
the OccupyWall Street that had taken place in New York, America months
before. Passions did not run high on social media alone. For the first time in a
long time, Nigerian youths came out en masse, all over the country, particularly
in Lagos, to protest against the subsidy roll back.
The fast approaching presidential election has once again put Nigerians on
Twitter (and Facebook)in a state of political excitation. The conversations seem
to be about nothing else but the elections. The heightened intensity seems to be
as a result of the tensions and uprisings that have bedevilled the country in the

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wake of the Boko Haram crises everyone surmises have more political than
religious undertones.
Some of the election hashtags on Twitter and Facebookare #GEJ (Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan, the incumbent President), #GMB (General Muhammadu
Buhari, the Presidential Opponent), #NigeriaDecides, #Election2015, etc.
Below are excerpts from Twitter interactions under the hash tag
#NigeriaDecides:
@MrAyeDee 7h7 hours ago
37/40 Truth is, Buhari showed extreme callousness toward the people he forcibly governed.
He was NOT the patriotic dictator #NigeriaDecides
@DrJoeOdumakin Jan 17
Most important for me, in the end, is not what party wins, but who will treat Nigerians with
respect, not with contempt. #NigeriaDecides

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CHAPTER FIVE:
CONCLUSION
At the start of this research I set out to establish that the rise of social media
have made significant impact on citizen engagement and political participation
in Nigeria. The foregoing show a willingness to be actively involved in
governance, a desire to have an authentic democracy where everyone has a
voice and every voice matters. The history of Nigeria is one that is marked by
oppression, corruption and decades of military rule. Our democracy is still
evolving and perhaps is still in its adolescent stage, one might argue. Still, for a
country whose democracy is light years away from complete maturation, she is
striving to make use of the tools available to achieve true self-government in
spite of all the odds stacked up against her. Social media technology is one of
those tools.
Although I am willing to concedethat the reach of social media is not as wide
as it is in the West and that it is not the cure-all to the country’s political
instability and many other problems, one might argue that social media
technology has at least provided a platform for starting serious conversations
about her democratic destiny.
As I stated early on, research on social media and democracy in Nigeria is still
very green and undeveloped. This paper is, therefore, by no means an

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exhaustive research on the subject. It merely opens the floor for further research
and investigation.

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REFERENCES
Charles, A. (2013), Media And/ Or Democracy. In: Charles, A. (ed.):
Media/Democracy: A Comparative Study [Online]. Cambridge Scholars
Publishing. Pp.1- 28. Available at:
http://www.mylibrary.com?1D 507757. [Accessed 7 January, 2015].
Coleman, S. (2001), The Transformation of Citizenship? In: Axford, B &
Huggins, R (eds.): New Media & Politics. London: Sage. Pp.109-119.
Ette, M (2013), The Press and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria. In: Charles,
A. (ed.): Media/Democracy: A ComparativeStudy [Online]. Cambridge Scholars
Publishing. Pp. 103- 124 Available at:
http://www.mylibrary.com?1D 507757. [Accessed 7 January, 2015].
Social Media: Assessing the level of Social Media Consumption & Usage in
Nigeria among Nigerian Adults (18+): A Report from FactBound Research Ltd
(Member of MMCC Group). Available at:
www.mmccgroup.com/admintoolprojects/Social Media Report 2011.pdf.
[Accessed 7 January, 2015].
Gillham, B (2010) CaseStudy ResearchMethods [Online] Continuum. Available
at:
http://www.mylibrary.com?ID=271041
Hartley, J (2010), Silly Citizenship: Critical Discourse Studies, 74(4), pp. 233-
248, DOI: 10.1080/17405904.2010.511826.
Macnamara, J (2012), Democracy 2.0: Can Social Media Engage Youth and
Disengaged Citizens in the Public Sphere? : Australian Journal of
Communication, 39(3), pp. 65-86.
Michael, B., Social Media, Identity and Democracy. In:

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(ed.): Media/Democracy: A Comparative Study [Online]. Cambridge Scholars
Publishing. Pp. 29- 48. Available at:
http://www.mylibrary.com?1D 507757. [Accessed 7 January, 2015.]
Rowley, J (2012), Conducting Research Interviews: Management Research
Interview 35(3/4). Pp. 260-271.
Solis, B & Breakenridge, D (2009), Putting Back the Public in Public Relations.
Pearson Education.
Unwin, T (2012), Social Media and Democracy: Critical Reflections:
Background Paper for Common Wealth Parliamentary Conference, Colombo,
September, 2012. Available at:
www.cpaqh.org./cpaqh/cpadocs/Unwin [Accessed on 19 January, 2015.]
APPENDIX1
Are you familiar with social media?
Yes 40 98%
No 0 0%
Not sure 0 0%
No responses yet for this question.
Do you have a Facebook account?

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Yes 40 98%
No 0 0%
Do you have a Twitter Account?
Yes 34 83%
No 6 15%
Besides connecting with friends and family, do you use any of the
above sites for, say, business promotion or political information
sharing?
Mostly 6 15%
Occasionally 24 59%
Minimally 7 17%
Never 3 7%

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Do you believe your voice on any of these social network sites does
make a difference?
Yes, I do 14 34%
No, I don't 8 20%
Sometimes 11 27%
Not sure 7 17%
Would you say you have become more politically conscious and
active since the emergence of these social media tools?
Yes, I have 21 51%
No, I have always been politically minded and active 9 22%
Not sure 8 20%
What age bracket do you fall under?
16 - 24 3 7%
25 - 40 36 88%

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41 - 55 1 2%
Figs.: Summary of responses on Questionnaire.
APPENDIX2
GIDITRAFFIC @Gidi_Traffic Jan 10
"@micdolly: “Every election is determined by the people who show up.” #OBTAINYOURPVC.
#NigeriaDecides @Gidi_Traffic" #VoteWisely
'Gbénga Sèsan @gbengasesan Jan 13
By all means choose either the kind of country you wish to continue seeing or a radical departure
from what is clearly inhuman #NigeriaDecides
Onye Nkuzi @cchukudebelu 2 mins2 minutes ago
As long as the Nigerian Govt depends almost entirely on crude oil, its ability to do serious
infrastructure projects will be constrained.
Fig. 2. Screenshots of Twitter conversations the Presidential Election, 2015.
APPENDIX3

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Fig.3: Image showing the two Presidential aspirants/candidates. L-R: General Muhammadu
Buhari and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Source: Twitter.
APPENDIX4
Fig. 4 Image showing Jemi Agbaje, a gubernatorial aspirant.
Source: Facebook
APPENDIX5

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Fig.5: Image showing Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan at a political rally in
Abakiliki, Ebonyi State in Nigeria.
Source: Twitter.