An Assessment of Twitter Ban on Nigeria’s Image in the International Community
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The primary objective of the study is as follows
- To find out the reasons for the ban on twitter
- To find out how the international community view Nigeria in the aftermath of the twitter ban.
- To find out how Nigeria’s internal affairs infringes on the her citizens right.
- To find out how Nigeria’s democratic image amongst the international community.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networksUsers typically access social media services via web-based technologies on desktop computers, and laptops, or download services that offer social media functionality to their mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers). When engaging with these services, users can create highly interactive platforms through which individuals, communities and organizations can share, cocreate, discuss, and modify user-generated content or pre-made content posted online. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between businesses, organizations, communities and individuals. Social media changes the way individuals and large organizations communicate. These changes are the focus of the emerging field of technoself studies. Social media differ from paper-based media (e.g., magazines and newspapers) or traditional electronic media such as TV broadcasting in many ways, including quality, reach, frequency, interactivity, usability, immediacy, and permanence. Social media operate in a dialogic transmission system (many sources to many receivers). This is in contrast to traditional media which operates under a monologic transmission model (one source to many receivers), such as a paper newspaper which is delivered to many subscribers or a radio station which broadcasts the same programs to an entire city. Some of the most popular social media websites are Baidu Tieba, Facebook (and its associated Facebook Messenger), Gab, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Viber, VK, WeChat, Weibo, What sApp, Wikia, and YouTube.
EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media have evolved through Web 2.0, a term coined to describe a new wave of Internet innovation that enables users to publish and exchange content online Kaplan and Haenlein (cited in Eun 2011:6). Social media encompass a wide range of electronic forums, including blogs, microblogs (e.g., Twitter), social networking sites (e.g., Facebook), creative work-sharing sites (e.g., YouTube), business networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn), collaborative websites (e.g., Wikipedia), and virtual worlds (e.g., Second Life). Among these social media, social networks and microblogs are the most popular, accounting for 22.7% of all time spent online in the United States ACNielsen (cited in Eun 2011: 6). According to Dominick (2009:283) Web 2.0 is the idea of a second generation Internet that is highly participatory, allowing users to improve it as they use it. Social media contents are primarily written and published by their users and not owners or employees of the site. For instance, most adverts, videos and pictures on Facebook and Twitter are uploaded by visitors of the sites.
Jenkins et. al (cited in Stagno: 2) observe that Web 2.0 has been growing tremendously as it facilitates the production and dissemination of information, allows for the involvements in participatory culture to share individual expressions or creations and bring people with similar interests and goals to connect with each other on blogs, social networking sites and others. Few years ago, websites were quite static and passive. There was no much interaction going on as they were mostly corporate websites. The only way an individual could participate online was to send an email or form to the owners or web master of the website and hope that they would get back to him. This type of arrangement was called Web 1.0, referred to as “first generation Web where users generally consumed content. The audience went to web pages and looked at content provided by the website owner” Dominick (2009:283).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This focus of this study is to assess twitter ban on Nigeria’s image in the international community using Abuja as case Study, Nigeria. Selected twitter users in Federal Capital Territory Abuja form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY,CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This focus of this study is to assess twitter ban on Nigeria’s image in the international community using Abuja as case Study, Nigeria. The study examined the causes for the ban on twitter. It examined international community’s view Nigeria after the twitter ban. It examined how Nigeria’s internal affairs infringe on her citizens right. It ascertained the democratic image of Nigeria’s amongst the international community ?
Survey research design was adopted for the study and with the aid of convenient sampling method, the researcher selected Eighty (80) participant who twitter users in Federal capital territory Abuja as the respondent of the study. Well structured questionnaire was issued to the 80 respondent of which total of 77 responses were retrieved and validated for the study. Data was analyzed in frequencies and tables using simple percentage, mean and standard deviation.
CONCLUSION
The perception of any country is a vital ingredient in assessing her international standing. This implies that a country with negative or image crisis is a bad item in the diplomatic market. Nigeria‟s international image has oscillated between periods of positivity and negativity, with the latter being preponderant.
Findings from the study reveals that the current twitter ban constitutes a gross abuse of office, as it elevates the personal interest of the President above that of the country and her citizens. Twitter ban was not democratically executed. The ban is a grave violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which the trio of the President, the Minister of Information and the Minister of Justice swore to uphold hence this has affected the image of the country at the international community.
Findings from the study revealed that Nigeria image at the international community reflects that Absence of Free and fair election, Lack of independent Judiciary, Politicization of legislation, Lack of independence of press and media, Corrupt and nontransparent government and Freedom of speech by citizens and other rights are trampled by actions and inactions of government. By infringing citizens’ fundamental right to the freedom of expression and association, it violates section 39 of the Constitution, while undermining the social and economic rights guaranteed Nigerian citizens by Chapter 11 of the Constitution. The ban is a violation of and assault on a number of international, continental and regional instruments that Nigeria willingly subscribes to. Indeed, the ban clearly falls below their expectations of the realm of the rights and freedom that citizens should freely enjoy.
RECOMMENDATION
From the findings from the study, the researchers therefore recommends that:
- The federal government of Nigeria should endeavour to go back to their drawing board and make necessary amendments to the ban on Twitter usage in Nigeria.
- The federal government of Nigeria should recognize that the ban on Twitter is affecting different spheres of the economy. They should adhere to the terms and rules of ECOWAS and revoke the ban since the ban is a bridge of the fundamental rights of the citizen.
- Nigeria Government should do more on their policy actions, framework and should ensure they put measures that reflect true democratic principles as this would improve their image deficit at the international community.
REFERENCE
- Adaramola, Z. (2013). “Nigerians Top Cyber Crimes Global Chart, says NSA Dasuki”, Daily Trust, March 13th. Data accessed 24th February, 2014.
- Agbu, O. (2009). “Nigerian Foreign Policy under President Umaru Musa Yar‟ Adua: Challenges and Prospects” in Eze, O. (ed.) Citizen Diplomacy, Nigeria Institute of Foreign Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, pp. 41-62
- Agboola SH (2009). “Democratic Practices in the Third World”. J. Third World Democracy, I(4):342-367.
- Ajayi, K. (2006). “Nigeria‟s Foreign Policy and Image Crisis” The Social Sciences, Volume 1 (2), pp. 110-117. Data Accessed on 24th October, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.medwelljournals. com/abstract/?doi=sscience.2 006.110.117
- Ajazeera New: How Nigeria’s Twitter ban stands to impact people, businesses:https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/6/7/nigerian-twitter-ban-how-government-restriction-affects-people.
- Ajazeera New: Nigerians on Twitter react to Nigeria’s Twitter suspension: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/4/nigerian-twitter-users-blast-govt-ban-of-social-media-giant
