ABSTRACT
The adoption of the Global System of Mobile
telecommunication (GSM) by Nigeria in 2001 opened up new vistas of
communication on an unprecedented level. This came at a time when the country
had just come out of a long period of military dictatorship and once again
experimenting with democracy. About twelve years now from the entry of this new
channel of mass communication into Nigeria, we are set in this study to discuss
its potentials for consolidating democracy and its attendant challenges. There
is no doubting the fact that this new technology with several social media
platforms such as the use of internet for social networking, blogging,
video-sharing (YouTube), tweeting, and photo-sharing (Instagram) has greatly
enhanced human communication in the 21st century. Considering the
participatory, interactive and cost-effective nature of the new media, they
have become veritable instruments for the deepening of democratic ideals and
processes in terms of information sharing, monitoring and evaluation of
electioneering processes, reduction of tension and anxieties associated with
elections, ensuring and even enforcing transparency and accountability to a
large extent. The study however, recognises that although social media have
their own challenges like susceptibility to abuse and desecration; these can be
effectively minimized if not obliterated through proper monitoring and
regulatory controls without abridging freedom of expression. It therefore
submits that the proper use of social media in fostering and sustaining
participatory democracy in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general in the
21st century has the potential of deepening and consolidating democracy in spite
of the teething challenges.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
Despite the general paucity of economic
infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa, over the past decade this region has
experienced some of the fastest growth rates in mobile phone and Internet
penetration in the world. In Nigeria, mobile phone subscription has risen from
just over 866,000 in 2001 to over 121 million as of October 2013. During the
same period, Internet users rose from 200,000 to 57 million (NCC, 2013). These
technologies are now major social connectors, and there is hope that they may
be transforming political life by enhancing democratic consolidation and
increasing the quality of democracy. Technology potentially has the power to
make elections in Nigeria more transparent and to encourage citizens to expect
accountability from elected leaders (Adewumi & Daramola, 2010; Etzo &
Collender, 2010; Ifukor, 2010; Olorunnisola & Douai, 2013; Schuler, 2008;
Smyth & Best, 2013).
One
of the elements of democracy and the rule of law is the freedom of expression.
To democratize is to ensure free unhindered two-way communication between the
government and the governed. The essence is to ensure the responsiveness of the
government to the yearnings of the people and for the people to put their views
across to government without fear or hindrance and in an atmosphere devoid of
interference. Against this background, this paper examines the role of the mass
media in the process of democratic consolidation in Africa, including Nigeria.
The objective is to identify the factors acting as constraints to the
effectiveness of the mass media in ensuring democratic consolidation. It
observes that the sustainability of democracy in Africa depends on several
factors, some of which are located within the media itself while others are
based on the prevailing political, socio-economic, legal, infrastructural,
cultural and religious environment Jin the different countries. The most
crucial factor for the sustenance of democracy in Africa would consist of the
enthronement of a popular sovereignty that touches the daily lives of the
populace, gives meaning to the notion of citizenship and goes beyond the
constitutionally defined form of rule. The role of the media is facilitative,
supportive and integrative.
To
achieve greater media effectiveness in promoting democratic ideals and
governance in Africa, there is need for private sector partnership and
involvement of civil society organizations in media ownership in order to
achieve a balance. The media (print and electronic) in Nigeria especially the
privately-owned ones have always been strong instruments of sensitisation and
mobilization of people towards democracy even in the dark days of brutal
military dictatorship (Ajayi, 2007). However, their reach was limited by such
factors as government intimidation and harassments, logistics, limited resources
and their elitist ownership and control. But with the widening of the
communication media space through improved technology information dissemination
and sensitisation of people now have a widespread immediacy and more diligent
follow up of events. This is as a result of their easy accessibility and
availability irrespective of social status. Even with the cheapest mobile
phones one can still access some social media platforms at reasonable cost for
information, education and entertainment. Fundamentally the media exists as an
organ of information sourcing and dissemination, social enlightenment and
mobilisation. These functions set the media apart as an important factor in the
relationship between the government and the governed thereby making them
indispensable for good governance, the deepening of democracy, societal growth
and development generally. The emergence of the new social media is a major
phenomenon that has transformed the interaction, communication and sharing of
information between people throughout the world in the 21st century. It is
important to point out here that social media is not a new concept. It has been
evolving since the dawn of human interaction. Meanwhile, during the 21st
century, there was the emergence of new forms of social media networks such as
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, internet service among others. The emergence of
these new forms of social media revolutionised many aspects of human
communication. Thus, today social media have become a natural part of the
everyday lives of people all over the world. For instance, as at 2010, there
were about 4.5 million Facebook users in the world (André-Michel, 2010:3) and
this has been increasing rapidly. This development makes social media fantastic
tools for communicating with large audience. The arrival of these new media
platforms have continued to change the way people communicate with each other
or one another around the world. For example, mobile phone penetration rates,
in particular, have resulted in a plethora of ideas for new media platforms
aimed at bridging the information divide between the well-connected and the
disconnected (Unwin, 2012:7). In addition, Internet-based communication has
equally started to gain importance in Nigeria in particular and Africa in
general. Both mobile phones and the internet provide exciting new opportunities
for one-to-one as well as one-to-many communication. The much reported rapid
spread of mobile connectivity and services, as well as different forms of
public and shared internet access have allowed a growing number of people who
may not have access to a computer or a fixed connection to take part in “the
global conversation” (André-Michel, 2010:4). The use of new social media in
politics has continued to grow in many parts of Africa since the 21st century.
The role of social media networks such as mobile phones’ SMS, Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube in deepening the democratization of Nigeria in recent times cannot
be overemphasized. For example, 2011 alone witnessed a massive use of mobile
phones’ SMS, Facebook, Twitter in the general elections in Nigeria. The social
media networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are amongst the most visited
websites in Nigeria. Due to their participatory, interactive and cost-effective
nature, they have become veritable instruments for carrying out election
campaigns and other electioneering activities, political engagement and
mobilization among others. It is against this backdrop that this study
discusses the new social media and consolidation of democracy in Nigeria with
particular emphasis on their potentials and challenges. The study is divided
into six parts. The first part is introduction; the second part is the
conceptual clarification; the third part deals with the historical perspective
on the evolution of the new social media platforms in Nigeria; the fourth part
discusses the role of social media in democratic consolidation in Nigeria; the
fifth part looks at the challenges of social media in strengthening democracy;
while the sixth part contains the concluding remarks.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
If
elections have become more transparent, cases of pre- and post-election
violence continue to persist (Lewis, 2011). The violence may be due in part to
incitement communicated over the new media, which the state appears unable to
control (Lewis, 2011; Smyth & Best, 2013; Tar & Zack-Williams, 2007).
However, on other occasions, mobile phones and social media have been
instrumental in fostering stability by dispelling rumors and disseminating
facts (Smyth and Best, 2013). The digital media is not the only force at work
in these elections. Tensions between parties and groups pose a serious
challenge to this fragile democracy as manipulative politicians play voters off
against each other in a bid to cling onto power (Berman, Eyoh, and Kymlicka,
2004; Nyamnjoh, 2005b).
Two
bodies of literature may offer understanding as to why the digital media has
not had a transformational effect on democracy on the African continent, even
though this media has greatly improved the logistical coordination for
elections and political campaigns. Firstly, mainstream African political science
literature advances that ethnic tensions, intense competition for state power
and resources, and weak state institutions are responsible for electoral
violence and the fragile democracies of many African countries (see Berman et
al., 2004). Another body of literature focuses on the use of digital media in
African elections. According to these various studies, the effect of the
digital media on democracy varies greatly. In some instances, it seems to
create efficiency and transparency in the electoral process (Bailard and
Livingston, Forthcoming; Smyth and Best, 2013); in other instances, it
contributes to widespread disillusionment resulting in the refusal by many
citizens to vote in elections (Bailard, 2012). The study of digital media is
still a developing field and there is no agreement about the overall effects of
it on elections or democratization.
But
these two bodies of literature, studying the old and new media respectively,
have generally not interacted, and as a result a significant knowledge gap exists.
Yet, it is clear that the media has played a decisive role in African politics.
Nationalists who fought for independence made extensive use of the media, and
postcolonial governments generally used the media to promote development
policies and programs. So both political science and digital media research
will mutually benefit from incorporating existing socio-political factors into
the analyses of how new digital media technologies are utilized for political
advantage in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper assumes that technology and society
are constantly at work on each other. Technology brings new opportunities to
the political process, but its use is strongly influenced by historical and
social realities.
Two
aspects of the election campaign process are of particular interest. Firstly,
the way the elites framed digital media use in public discourse as compared to
its actual use in the campaigns, and, secondly, what the campaigns perceived as
the best use for digital media: political bargaining or reaching voters with
their message.
1.3
Objectives of the Study
The
objectives of this research work are to:
i.
bridge the gap between political science and digital media literature in
Sub-Saharan African;
ii.
explore how the use of digital media by political elites has interacted with
socio-political and historical factors, and ultimately shaped the outcome of
the governorship election in Nigeria’s; and,
iii.
investigate how politicians adopted these new digital media and other
traditional channels of communication for political campaigning, internal
campaign communication, and inter-elite bargaining.
1.4
Research Questions
The
following research questions have been developed:
During
campaigning, how did the elites’ public discourse about digital media use
compare with their actual digital media practices?
How
do politicians communicate with their constituencies and supporters during an
election?
To
what extent does the choice of a media channel correspond with the type of
message politicians want to send?
1.5
Significance of the Research Study
This
research work has much significance but some of them are:
This
research work will improve and expand the knowledge and understanding of the
researcher on issues surrounding or pertaining to the concept of democracy It
will provide relevant information for understanding the role of the media in
democratic consolidation in Africa and Nigeria. It will help in seeking
solution to all problems that the mass media faces in democratic consolidation.
It will serve as reference material to any scholar/student who is willing to
know or to add to his/her knowledge and insight of the role of the social media
in democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
1.6
Scope of the Study
It
is generally known that the social media covers a wide range area, but for the
purpose of this research work, it will be limited to the gubernatorial
elections held in Nigeria on June 21, 2014.