In a country where traditional media often falls short in reaching remote communities and marginalized groups, Nigeria’s local NGOs and social media influencers are turning to digital platforms to advance peacebuilding initiatives. With over 36.75 million Nigerians active on social media as of January 2024, according to Datareportal, these digital tools have become crucial in addressing conflict and fostering unity.
A New Era of Peacebuilding
The rise of social media has revolutionized how organizations approach conflict resolution and peace advocacy. Platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Zoom are now integral to disseminating information, rallying communities, and sharing peacebuilding stories.
For instance, the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa recently launched the #PeaceStories project. This initiative uses social media to spotlight individual experiences with conflict and peacebuilding efforts.
Similarly, the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN) in Jos, Nigeria, has harnessed digital tools to promote dialogue. In 2023, they organized an X Space chat titled #PeaceTalks, which gathered community leaders, activists, and residents to discuss peacebuilding strategies in Plateau State. This state, located in North-Central Nigeria, has endured numerous religious and tribal conflicts, leading to significant loss of life and property over the past decade.
The PPPN, a collective of local peace networks, adopted social media to reach residents across the state, promoting reconciliation and dialogue. David James, the Public Relations Officer of PPPN, highlighted the advantages of social media in their peace efforts.
“We chose social media because it’s easier, faster, and has a wide reach. Platforms like Zoom and YouTube allow us to share and archive discussions, making it easier for people to engage and revisit content,” he explained.
James emphasized the positive impact of these digital platforms, saying, “Using social media helps us educate people about peacebuilding, countering the crisis that often originates online.”
Strategic Social Media Use for Peace
The Institute for Crisis Resolution, Peacebuilding, and Conciliation (ICRPC) in Abuja, has also embraced social media to spread its peacebuilding message. According to Mr. Clement N. Kuliyak, the North West Regional Coordinator, ICRPC utilizes various platforms to engage different audiences. Facebook serves as a tool for broad outreach with multimedia content, while LinkedIn is used for professional networking and academic discussions. Instagram focuses on visual storytelling to engage younger audiences, and WhatsApp organizes real-time discussions among professionals. Twitter (X) is employed for quick updates and live coverage of events.
Kuliyak noted the effectiveness of these platforms. “Each platform plays a unique role in our strategy. Our Facebook posts, for example, reach grassroots communities with engaging content. LinkedIn helps us connect with professionals and academics, while Instagram’s visual storytelling engages a younger audience,” he said.
He elaborated on their approach. “We use storytelling to share success stories and personal narratives, educational campaigns to teach conflict resolution, and interactive content to engage our audience in real-time discussions.”
Despite these successes, Kuliyak acknowledged the challenges of the digital divide and misinformation, which require ongoing efforts and adaptation.
The Speed of Social Media
ICRPC’s use of social media has led to tangible outcomes. Kuliyak believes that their social media work has led to a reduction in violence and increased cooperation between peacebuilding organizations and conflicting groups. Educational content has empowered local peacebuilders, fostering grassroots initiatives and strengthening community dialogue.
Mathew Tegha, Coordinator of the Plateau Peace Media Network, echoed similar sentiments about the role of social media. “Social media plays a crucial role in modern communication, offering opportunities for rapid information dissemination,” he said.
He added, “We utilize these platforms to reach the youth and promote peacebuilding activities. Bloggers and influencers in our network amplify our messages, helping us engage with a broader audience.”
Tegha emphasized the importance of these platforms for rapid communication and public sensitization. “Social media provides a faster means to spread information than traditional media. It’s crucial for engaging with the younger demographic and promoting peace initiatives effectively.”
Challenges and Future Directions
While social media has proven beneficial, it is not without challenges. The digital divide remains a significant issue, with many remote areas lacking reliable internet access. As mentioned, while over 37 million Nigerians use social media, Nigeria’s total population is over 200 million, suggesting that significant segments of the population do not have access to it. Additionally, the spread of misinformation can undermine peace efforts, necessitating vigilant content moderation and collaboration with fact-checking organizations.
Both ICRPC and PPPN actively work to address these issues by moderating discussions to prevent hate speech and educating their audiences about misinformation. Their strategies include collaborating with credible sources and running campaigns to promote digital literacy and critical thinking.
Therefore, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for peacebuilding in Nigeria. By leveraging these platforms, local NGOs and influencers are not only enhancing their outreach but also fostering a more inclusive and informed dialogue about conflict resolution.
As digital engagement continues to evolve, these organizations remain committed to using social media to build bridges and promote lasting peace in their communities.
Factors responsible for using social media peacebuilding.
Benjamin Maigari, a peace activist from Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, identified some factors responsible for the shift to social media for peace-building promotion.
He said reaching their main target, which is the youth, is crucial for peace-building, and that irrespective of the community, whether urban or rural, every eight out of 10 youths have social media accounts. Benjamin said they (youths) are either on Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, where they engage in various activities. He stressed that reaching this target audience is important because anything related to peace involves youths who can either build or destroy.
He cited , example, that the #EndBadGovernance planned protest in Nigeria, which was promoted by the youth in the country, started on social media. Thus, social media is a tool that can be used to achieve a wider reach at a lower economic cost compared to conventional media methods.
“If you want to bring people together, you will need resources, and those resources are scarce, so you have to be creative and innovative by creating ways of reaching your target audience. This is why we resolved to use social media,” he explained.
On the effectiveness of social media in peace-building, he said, “It is effective, but its effectiveness is determined by the message and the audience. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.”
He further elaborated, “The disadvantage here is the feedback because you hardly get feedback when you give out such information. You may see many likes on the message posted, but you hardly get much feedback from those communities and youths. But it gives you a wider reach to networks and groups where you cannot go on your own. So it is very effective.”
Mohammed Ibrahim
Mohammed is a multimedia freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.
