Social Media Use and the Biafra Separatist Conflict in Nigeria

There is a growing research interest in the role of social media in armed conflicts, but the impact of social media on the persistence of the renewed Biafra separatist conflict in Nigeria has not been sufficiently examined. This study attempts to fill this gap. Using realism and securitization theories, this research demonstrated that ethnic entrepreneurs like the Biafra separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu, often take advantage of the lack of gatekeepers in social media to mobilize the support required to sustain ethnic conflicts. Unlike other pro-Biafra movements in the past that fizzled out with time, Kanu’s Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has generated sustained attention because it leverages social media to mobilize local and international support. In the absence of Kanu due to state incarceration since 2021, his self-styled disciple, Simon Ekpa, has continued in Kanu’s footsteps, using social media to sustain the movement. The user-generated content nature of social media makes it fashionable to be used by ethnic entrepreneurs to accelerate the onset of armed conflict. This research suggests that multiethnic states like Nigeria can delay the onset of civil wars and insurgencies by regulating social media use without suppressing dissident voices and restricting individual liberty.