Hashtags: Social Media, Politics and Ethnicity in Nigeria

Hashtags: Social Media, Politics and Ethnicity in Nigeria provide a glimpse into the nature of the socio-political atmosphere of Africa’s most vibrant online politico-social ecosystem. Through this collection of essays, a product of the ethnographic immersion of the author in Nigeria’s social media milieu – the aspirations, hopes, angst, frustrations and intentions of Nigerian tweeps about politics, ethnicity, free speech, hate speech and political participation can be better understood.

“Social media offers a unique lens into what tens of millions of Nigerians are thinking and feeling about their lives, their futures and their government. Egbunike drinks deeply from the well of social media and draws forth ethnographic narratives that outline the aspirations and fears of contemporary Nigerians, from ethnic tensions, concerns about the vitality of leadership and hopes for a more open society. #Hashtags offers a glimpse into the world of social media at its liveliest and most energetic, the passions of Nigerians playing out online, 280 characters at a time.” – Ethan Zuckerman, Director, Center for Civic Media, MIT; Associate Professor of the Practice, MIT Media Lab