Social Media and Protest Mobilisation Among Nigerians: A Case Study of Endsars

Social Media and Protest Mobilisation Among Nigerians: A Case Study of Endsars

Author Obiora Cynthia Chiamaka
DOI https://ww

Country : Nigeria
Subject : Sociology and Anthropology

Keywords : Social Media, Protest Mobilisation, EndSARS, Police Brutality, Public Awareness.

Abstract

This study examined the effect of social media on protest mobilisation among Nigerians: a case study of EndSARS. The objectives of the study were to find out the relationship between social media platforms and the mobilization of protesters during the EndSARS movement in Nigeria; to ascertain the influence of public awareness generated through social media on governmental responses regarding police brutality in Nigeria and to assess the impact of various strategies employed on social media on participant engagement levels during the EndSARS protests in Nigeria.
The study's population comprised Nigerian youths who took part in the #EndSARS protests. The sample size was drawn from four major cities: Port Harcourt, Benin City, Abuja and Lagos. The sample size of the study was 377 respondents who were randomly selected as respondents from the population. The study adopted descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages and tables) and inferential statistics (p-value, t-value and F-statistics) as its major statistical tools for data analysis. The analysis revealed that social media platforms has significant relationship on the mobilization of protesters during the EndSARS movement in Nigeria, that public awareness generated through social media has significant influence on measurable response from government authorities regarding police brutality in Nigeria and that strategies employed on social media has significant relationship on participant engagement levels during the EndSARS protests in Nigeria. Finally, the study recommends that it is essential to enhance digital literacy among Nigerian youth so as to optimize the impact of social media in upcoming protests, that activists should devise well-structured social media strategies that utilize multiple platforms to reach a wider audience and that governments should consider social media as a means of engagement rather than simply a platform for dissent.

Download