| Abstract: |
The role of social media has been adjudged powerful, especially in the construction and individual conception of social realities. In Nigeria, this influence has been prevalent due to the diverse nature of the society. Owing to the freedom associated with the use of social media, Nigerians tend to politicise, ‘ethnicise’ or even ‘religionise’ public discussions on the social media space. This trend continuously generates controversies among the diverse population, particularly on Facebook. Recently, a female graduate of the University of Ilorin, Amasa Firdaus was denied being called to bar by the authorities of the Nigerian Law School for refusing to remove her hijab. This issue, as reported by the media, has been contested by individuals, religious and civil society groups, thereby generating controversies among Nigerians who made negative and injurious comments via the Facebook social media platform. This study used the content analysis approach to identify the tone of comments and reactions on the aforesaid issue, with the aim of examining the implications of same on the unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigeria. Comments from the Facebook pages of four newspapers that reported the issue were purposively selected for the study. Findings reveal that users were polarised along ethnic and religious lines in their comments, posting negative and injurious statements capable of reducing the platform into a chaotic and indiscreet battlefield where Nigerians engage in war of words. The study recommends the need for social media education and media literacy to help better the pattern of users’ interactions on the platform, so as to make all appreciate the obvious values of social media. |
