Nigerian protests on social media
Nigeria, with its population of 158.3 million in 2010, is home to the greatest number of Internet users in Africa (53.4 million in 2010). The country has a dynamic telecom market, but due to low disposable incomes, there were only 1.4 million PC users in the country in 2010.
According to statistics from Statcounter, the largest African mobile phone user base can also be found in Nigeria with over 93 million subscribers registered as of September 2011. Mobile browsing has overtaken desktop browsing in Nigeria, making it the first in Africa to experience this.
As we have seen during the protests, thousands of Nigerians are using Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Flickr and Facebook to share information, photos and opinions. Here are our top picks of the social media coverage during the Nigerian protests:
Twitter:
@saharareorters (32,000 followers)
@EiENigeria (9,000 followers)
@elrufai (39,000 followers)
@gbengasesan (9,000 followers)
@omojuwa (11,000 followers)
@NaijaCyberHack (5000 followers)
@OccupyNigeria (8600 followers)
@ogundamisi (10,000 foloowers)
@purefoyAMEBO (11,500 followers)
@JGoodlucktweets (26,000 followers). Not tweeted since May 2011.
Blogs:
www.saharareporters.com
www.Omojuwa.com
www.CP–Africa.com
http://ynaija.com
http://bayoomoboriowo.com/2012/01/occupy-nigeria-the-lagos-protest - photography
http://el-rufai.org
www.battabox.com/
www.naijablog.co.uk
http://kayodeogundamisi.blogspot.com/
As Nigerians woke up to a third day of protests on Wednesday, the virtual world was waking up too: "Now, Nigeria controls its own media and Nigerians control their own anger... Nigerians are united."
By Peter Vlam
Follow #fuelsubsidy for just a couple of minutes and you'll see tweets coming in so fast at times, its impossible to keep up with the conversation. For days now #occupynigeria is trending on Twitter in Nigeria. Bloggers like Sahara Reporters, Gbenga Sesan, El-Rufai and many more have provided extensive coverage, commentaries and documents regarding the ongoing #OccupyNigeria protest on their websites.
Social media, just as it was for people in Tunisia, Egypt or Syria is very important to protesters in Nigeria. Protesters use it to organise, inspire and inform each other. Here are some examples of events evolving.
‘Trigger happy police shot dead fellow Nigerian and made away with his body at Ibafo, SouthWest Nigeria’ is the headline of a post by blogger Alashock. He shared some very disturbing photo showing policemen carrying away a corpse in an attempt to hide the fact (according to Channels TV), that they killed the 14-year-old boy by a random bullet.
#OccupyNigeria
Blogger El-rufai (39,000 followers on twitter) released details of 2012 budget for Nigeria contained in over 50 documents to the general public and blogger Omojuwa (11,000 followers on twitter) shared a document called ‘What every protester must know and what to say to the press.’
On Wednesday morning @EiENigeria tweeted: ‘FLASH: #OccupyNigeria. Please call people in #Minna for calm. Anger turned towards IBB and Governor owned properties. We don't need this.’ Another tweet (by @ESSDonli): ‘If you see a fellow protester going astray, it is your duty, your obligation to let him know. Peace is our foundation. #occupyNigeria’
Other tweets are less serious: (by@occupynigeria): ‘It is d official day to UNLIKE him on Facebook. Let's change d 685,015 number of Nigerians dat LIKE to 000000 within 2 days. (Pls RT).' This tweet was about unliking President Jonathan on Facebook.
Hackers, united under @NaijaCyberHack brought down the ministry of agriculture website on Monday, leaving a message on the homepage behind:
(…)“Nigerians are stirring and with it, revolution is brewing. Perhaps you see yourselves at the eye of the storm, luxuriating in peace and tranquility while all around is ripped apart and made anew. The recent cutting of the fuel subsidies by you is the last straw. Your horrendous actions have crossed the lines. Your crimes have united this great melting pot into a white hot alloy of rage.”(…). The website is still not up and running after the attack.
On Flickr Occupy Nigeria builds a database with photo’s and same thing happens on YouTube.
'Generational transfer'
The international occupy movement is a motivator for many protesters. In Nigeria the occupy movement seems to be a loose coalition of activists, union workers, students and artists who unite many protesters.
Naijablog’s Jeremy Weate takes it a step further though: ‘What we are witnessing with Occupy Nigeria is a generational transfer, as young, social-media enabled activists gradually take over the baton from unionist stalwarts. Nigeria’s young population is increasingly letting go of the deferential attitude of their parent’s generation. In the south at least, young Nigerians are beginning to ask questions of the religious leadership that has been complicit with the status quo. At long last, there is accountability pressure building up in the system.’
And it must be a sign of the times: CNN’s Nigeria Correspondent Christian Purefoy left CNN this December to start the Lagos based website Battabox, a citizen journalism website were people can upload their own content. A livestream –with quite some hick-ups- during the protest was even possible. Live streams created by CNN, BBC or AlJazeera are nowhere to be found.
The word is out, so it seems. The protest is not entirely about the removal of fuel subsidy, it is about the need for good governance. People are frustrated about the corruption and greed of the ruling elite.
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
Yes. Nigerians are angry and this article presents our grievances clearly. Let them point out and prosecute those profiting illegally from oil subsidy. Let them work on the refineries, tighten up the borders. There's so much power vested in the federal govt that no one can understand why it has to be this option, this way that's appealing. Well, its also the last straw.
This moment of social Buzz is a justification that Nigeria in-spite of its complexities and limitations could just as waters finds its level at a moment of turbulence. The social media awakening gladdens my heart because, I am one of the advocates of this wind of change. I have seen that the new media landscape that social media cannot be ignored. I salute Peter Vlam for this excellent job. This write up has put in my hand a strong defense for the cause of Pluralistic media. A couple of weeks ago I advocated and impelled the management of my organization to launch the applications of social Media in my workplace, Alas the recent event proved me right, that the new media is the way to go.
I must add that traffic would have been more but there were problems with service providers thereby shutting out several others.
The Social, economic and political significance of this development simply is clear. Nigerians say no to oppression and poverty. With every sense of modesty through my own blog and face book account, I added to the voice of Liberty.
I am also very happy that this is coming from RNW. Proud at all times to be Alumni Of RNTC
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.