WhatsApp both strengthens and undermines Nigerian democracy, says UK-Nigeria research team
Research findings were released today by a UK-Nigerian research team examining the role of WhatsApp in Nigeria's 2019 elections. Drawing on citizen surveys and interviews with political campaigns, the report underlines the ways in which WhatsApp has promoted the spread of "fake news" around elections, but has also strengthened accountability and promoted inclusion in other areas. At the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, on Monday 29 July, researchers from the Centre for Democracy and Development (Nigeria) and University of Birmingham (UK) presented key findings from a WhatsApp-sponsored research project on the role of WhatsApp in Nigeria's 2019 elections. The report, WhatsApp and Nigeria's 2019 Elections: Mobilising the People, Protecting the Vote, is available in full. WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in 40 African countries, including Nigeria, due to its low cost, encrypted messages, and the ability to easily share messages with both individuals and groups. The aim of the research project was to shed light on how the app is influencing Nigerian elections , particularly in light of concerns - in Nigeria, and across the globe - about social media usage and the spread of so-called "fake news". Dr Jonathan Fisher (University of Birmingham) led the research team, which included Idayat Hassan (Centre for Democracy and Development), Jamie Hitchen (Independent Consultant) and Professor Nic Cheeseman (University of Birmingham).
