Effect of Social Media on National Security During the 2020 ENDSARS Protests in Lagos State

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of social media on national security during the 2020 ENDSARS protests in Lagos State, Nigeria. Quantitative design and primary sources of data were utilised. 357 Lagos State residents were sampled using a combination of simple random and convenience sampling techniques. In the data analysis, ordinal logistic regression was employed. The key findings are that social media roles such as the organisation of protesters and promotion of accountability had positive effects by contributing to better coordination and stability while roles such as the amplification of grievances, and documentation of human rights abuses had negative effects by exacerbating tensions and leading to greater instability. The paper concludes by recommending that the government should compel social media platforms (particularly X) to have a unit for fast-checking information content before being shared on their platforms and flagging up fake/misleading information, thereby mitigating potential security risks of social media; and the government (National Orientation Agency) should invest in digital literacy programmes to help the public better navigate the complexities of social media, particularly in distinguishing between accurate information and misinformation/fake information.