Leadership in digital activism: an example of techno-enthusiasts in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the importance of leadership in the organisation of social movements in Nigeria and examines how the leadership style adopted impacted the organisation of two social movements in Nigeria. Using response from 34 semi-structured interviews from university students in Nigeria that participated in the protests, the paper finds that Leadership remains crucial to the organisation of social movements in Nigeria. Results further indicate that the leadership style adopted impacts the organisation of social movements in Nigeria, more so, than the media platform. Results also show that Techno-Enthusiasts in 2012 unlike the Nigeria Labour Congress in 2016 used their technological skills to rouse a passive generation into action. This paper concludes with a proposed leadership typology for social movement organisation in Nigeria.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital activism
• collective action
• connective action
• social media
• leadership
• techno-Enthusiasts

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Notes

1. All names are pseudonyms.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Temple Uwalaka

Temple Uwalaka completed his PhD at the News and Media Research Centre, and lectures at the School of Arts and Communication, University of Canberra. His research interests include digital activism, the use of online and mobile media to influence political change, and political branding and advertising