Digital Citizens and Youth Mobilisation in Nigeria: Appraising the Place of Citizenship in a Participatory Democracy during the #EndSARS Protes


Keyword : Digital citizen, participatory democracy


Author(s) : Samuel Chuwkwuemaka Nwamini, PhD; Lawal Umar Maradun; Adeola Sidikat Oyeleke, PhD & Emmanuel Chike Onwe, PhD

Abstract :   

The concept of digital citizenship has become a global phrase used to describe the actions taken by active online users to contribute actively in an online community engagement in other to mobilize for real-time changes through social networking sites (SNS). The study investigated the existence of digital citizens and their efforts in exposing police brutality in Nigerians’ participatory democracy. The study adopted the Digital Citizenship Theory (DCT) to identify the major compliance indicators for the growth of digital citizens and their influence on participatory democracy in Nigeria. The researchers adopted case study analysis to review empirical and non-empirical studies on digital citizens, #EndSARS protest, and participatory democracy. The study concluded that the existence and growth of digital citizens are boundless in Nigeria as a result of Internet penetration across many cities, that access to social network sites and consistent exposure to foreign media content by the youths will continue unabated because of the availability of Internet-enabled devices and SNS platforms. The study found that despite the overwhelming evidence of Internet penetration and the availability of SNS platforms in the hands of Nigerian youths which have had an exponential influence on Nigerians living abroad, the issue of police brutality is still growing unabated. The study therefore recommends an immediate reform of the policing system in Nigeria by addressing the major issues that caused the protest. 

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