Youth Involvement in Politics and the Use of Social Media for Activism: A Case Study of Not Too Young To Run & EndSARS Campaigns in Nigeria

The present study employs the theoretical tenets of public sphere, communicative action and the logic of connective action to investigate how new media technologies are leading the way for new forms of political inclusion campaigns and political activity among youth in Nigeria by examining the activities of the #NotTooYoungToRun (NTYTR) and #EndSARS campaigns in Nigeria and the drive for change in youth participation. Probing the activities of both campaigns, the present study sampled 22,064 publicly available tweets from online protesters whose activities were recorded in the hashtags under investigation. The study answers three questions; what issues challenge the youths from accessing formal political, economic and social opportunities as expressed by Nigerian youths on Twitter in the NTYTR and #EndSARS campaigns? How are youths using Twitter to campaign against perceived challenges in Nigeria’s political, economic and social life in the NTYTR and #EndSARS campaigns? What suggestions are offered by youths in the NTYTR and #EndSARS campaigns on Twitter on how to increase their participation in Nigeria’s political, economic and social life? Findings strongly reveal that Twitter offers an avenue for Nigerian youths to converge and discuss issues in patterns that are evident in the public sphere by using their personalized action frames. Through content analysis, the study established that a common problem identified in both campaigns studied is the systemic marginalization of young people from access to opportunities that would advance their wellbeing politically, economically and socially. This has further prevented their full participation in formal politics while also threatening their livelihood. The study found that the youths’ attempt to resolve this challenge has involved the use of social media platforms like Twitter to lobby international organizations for support for their causes.