"The Role of Social Media in Nigeria Politics."

Good day, people of Hive! Welcome to my blog. Today's topic is "Social Media and Politics," so let's dive in.

Nowadays, social media has become a big part of our lives, and when it comes to politics, it has changed a lot of things, especially in my country, Nigeria. In Nigeria, we use platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram to talk about politics. Before social media was introduced, we listened to the radio and read newspapers, and all these were always in favour of the government. They only said what they wanted us to hear and shared what they wanted us to see. But with social media, everybody is now entitled to voice out their feelings and opinions.

A typical example is what happened in the year 2020 during the #EndSARS protest: a lot of people used social media to cry out about police brutality and how a lot of innocent people were killed and arrested. Because of social media, we were able to see all that was happening around us.

Another example is during the Peter Obi and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential election in the year 2023, just like what @moremoney said. Peter Obi's name became popular, and everybody was hoping that he would become our president. That's why a lot of young people started using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to campaign for him, just because they believed that if he became the president, a lot of things would change. Even though he didn't win, he made a strong impact, and that was because of the power of social media, which shows us how social media is really helping us.

Another example again is about the NYSC female corps member whose video went viral for calling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and talking about how hard things have become in the country and how the government are not doing anything about it. Some people supported her, saying what she said is true, while others started harassing her, saying she shouldn't have spoken like that. Later, I heard how the government increased the NYSC allowance from #33,000 to #77,000. Whether it was because of what she said that's why they increased the allowance or not, I don't know, but at least her voice was heard.

Has it had a good effect politically?

Yes and No. The yes part is that it has given the people a voice. Because, before social media, only those in power and with connections could speak out, but now everything has changed because we all are free to express our opinions. While the no part is that many people spread lies or unconfirmed stories. If I could change anything, it would be for people to stop spreading fake news.

In conclusion, social media is now a big part of politics in Nigeria. It has helped a lot, and it can still do more good if we use it the right way.

This is my entry for the Hive Learners Featured Content Week 162 Episode 01

Thanks for reading💞💞💞💞💞.