Social Media and Hate Speech: Analysis of Comments on Biafra Agitations, Arewa Youths’ Ultimatum and their Implications on Peaceful Coexistence in Nigeria

Abstract

Social media has been adjudged an innovation which can be utilized to propel socioeconomic and political transformations in the modern society. Given the liberty in access and use of social media, Nigerians have in recent times, put to use the platform to express their views on national issues. Recent occurrences have revealed that the use of vile and hateful comments dominate the discourse among Nigerians on the social media space, particularly Facebook. This development indicates the potentials of social media to pose serious threats to peaceful coexistence through the proliferation of hate comments. This paper examines users’ comments on Biafra agitations and the Arewa youths’ ultimatum to Igbo residents in the North, with a focus on the Facebook accounts of selected media organisations. The critical discourse analysis approach was employed to explore the tone of comments (that attack or express support for a particular ethnic or religious group, and those that attack the personality of the president based on his regional and ethnic affiliations) and their implications on peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Findings reveal that users were polarised along regional and religious lines in their comments, posting negative and injurious comments capable of turning the nation against itself. This is attributed to the ubiquitous nature of social media, making it possible for users to anonymously read contents and react with derogatory comments that insult or ridicule the ethnic, political, regional and religious affiliations of the diverse population of the country. Thus, there is the need for an articulate policy framework to moderate what goes on in the social media, to counter the negative effects of the platform on peaceful coexistence.