Public Agitation, Social Media and the Government: An Analysis of the Use of Social Media as a Catalyst for Change in Nigeria

Abstract

Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have enjoyed a political and economic
renaissance in the last 25 years. Politically, many countries have enjoyed relative
democratic stability and the economic benefits that accompany democratic rule. It is
generally assumed that a stable democracy is synonymous with responsible (or at-
least, more responsible) leadership, howsoever defined. One country that appears to
deny this assumption is Nigeria. An assessment of the type of leadership that Nigeria
has endured since 1999, illustrates that the Nigerian democracy does not appear to be
attracting the kind of leadership that can translate political rhetoric into
developmental benefits. There are several reasons for this, which include the
educational constraints; the vestiges of military governance, which has limited the
collective awareness of appropriate leadership styles as well as the funding mechanism
for political office, which excludes the intelligentsia and the middle class from
ejJectively participating in the political process amongst others.

This paper presents a critical assessment of public agitation for good governance, as
stimulated by social media in Nigeria between 2009 and 2014. 1t will examine social
media responses to leadership failings in Nigeria and determine whether citizen
responses are able to provide a catalyst for a change. The paper will conclude with an
assessment of citizen-led measures that may work, are working or have worked in
Nigeria that may affect the quality and nature of leadership in Nigeria.