The issue of social media regulation re-emerged in the spotlight at the launch of the book Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria.
This thought-provoking book, authored by the head of media relations at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan brought together industry leaders and policymakers for a productive discussion on moving the country forward. Former Minister of Communications, Frank Nweke, chaired the event and prominent figures like Speaker Tajudeen Abbass of the House of Representatives and the executive vice-chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta joined in praising the book, exploring the possibilities of responsible social media regulation.
Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, representing the House of Reps speaker, took the first shot at the discussion and described the book as “a masterpiece”, praising Ibietan for his sagacity and astute delivery of the book for politicians and academic scholars.
Abbass said: “The book should awaken the youth and the general public to go back to the reading culture. I commend the author; he has not left the field of struggle. The efforts of Ibietan to put into publishing, the work is commendable”.
In his address, the chairman of the occasion, Nweke Jr., also praised Ibietan for elevating public discuss on cyber politics and the impact of social media in election processes. Nweke said: “The book dwells on better understanding of social media, and the conclusion overall is that in the coming years, the impact of social media will increase with usage”.
“We have found that, indeed, yes, social media may have shaped the way people voted, but technology did so in the context of other mediating factors and influences; one of which is the context in which elections are contested,” said Ibietan, explaining the focus of his book.
Danbatta stressed the need to ensure a responsible way of using social media to do politics, saying that, “You cannot kill the social media, we have to learn to live with it, we have to find a responsible way to use the social media”.
“All these things are real, people lose their lives, for someone to make one negative comment and it spreads like wildfire. In every democracy, people reserve the right to express themselves freely, but that has to be done in a manner it does not infringe on the right of others. So it should be regulated in order not to undermine the right of people on the social space,” added Nweke.
Ibietan said: “What we tried to do in the book was to look at the social behaviors of Nigerians, how they used social media to interact and how social media, which of course was considered a very phenomenon shaped the 2015 general elections, in terms of the use of social technology in that election.
“However, in Nigeria, we are not just consumers of technology, but we are applying them in context that gives meaning, not just to our lives as individuals and people who operate businesses. As a nation, communication is primordial with man, shaping our lives and businesses and so, it is the most central aspect of politics. There is a sense in which we relay using social technology that may be injurious to the beautiful society we are trying to create,” he continued.
“One other thing we looked at is the role of historical media, the fact that we have social media, does not mean the historical media is dead. Because what we found is that people also fed in the historical media and took those things back onto the social media space,” Ibietan added, shedding light on the coexistence of traditional and social media.
The discussions surrounding social media regulation, fueled by the launch of “Cyber Politics,” underscore the importance of responsible regulation to safeguard democracy and protect citizens from misinformation and harmful content. The direct quotes from key figures emphasize the need for a delicate balance that allows freedom of expression while preventing the misuse of social media platforms. Policymakers, professional associations and citizens must work together to create a safer and more informed social media environment for all.
