President Bola Tinubu has submitted a list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.— Bayo Onanuga, Presidential Spokesman, via X
The announcement of Nigeria’s
new ambassadorial list did not first echo through the Federal Radio Corporation
of Nigeria (FRCN), nor did it resound from the Nigerian Television Authority
(NTA)’s evening news. Instead, it appeared on X, the social media platform
formerly known as Twitter. In that moment, governance once again bypassed the
village square and chose the digital balcony.
In Abraham Lincoln’s immortal
words, in his 1863 Gettysburg Address, democracy was meant to be “government of
the people, by the people, for the people.” Yet in Nigeria today, one might
cheekily rephrase it: government of X, by X, and for X. The paradox is
glaring. Our leaders increasingly address the citizenry through social media
platforms like X, while most Nigerians, especially the poor, remain excluded
from this digital agora.
The Digital Balcony vs. the Village Square
Imagine a town crier in a rural
village, climbing onto a balcony to announce news only to those who happen to
be standing nearby with binoculars. That is what governance through X feels
like. The platform is a balcony high above the masses, accessible only to those
with smartphones, data subscriptions, and the literacy to navigate hashtags.
But Nigeria’s traditional mode
of communication, namely the village square, the radio, or the national
television broadcast was designed to reach everyone. The paradox is that
government now prefers the balcony to the square, privileging immediacy and
trendiness over inclusivity.
What Happened to Television & Radio?
There was a time when television
and radio were the beating heart of Nigeria’s public communication. The NTA and
FRCN were not just broadcasters; they were national rituals. A presidential
address meant families gathering around flickering screens, neighbours leaning
in to listen, and communities digesting the message together. Radio,
especially, was the lifeline for rural Nigeria, cheap, portable, and accessible
even in the most remote villages.
Today, those rituals feel
abandoned. Television and radio have been relegated to background noise, while
governance has migrated to X. The shift is not merely technological; it is
cultural.
Picture Chukwuebuka, a trader in
Onitsha. His transistor radio hums as he sells shoes. For decades, that radio
was his link to national life, such as announcements, music, news. Today, when
fuel subsidy is removed or new ambassadors are appointed, he hears nothing
until the price shocks him or rumours spread in the market. The government has
spoken, but not to him.
The Farmer and the Smartphone
Consider Jonathan, a yam farmer
in Benue. His daily rhythm is dictated by the sun, not by hashtags. He owns a
basic phone, not a smartphone. Jonathan remains unaware of new tax legislation until he is
informed by others during a conversation at a bar. Although the government has
issued an official announcement via X, he has not personally received this
information.
This anecdote illustrates the
paradox: the government claims to speak to the people, yet its chosen medium
excludes the very people most affected by its policies.
The Implications: Governance as Performance
- Exclusionary governance: By privileging X, the government
inadvertently creates a two-tier citizenry: those who are “in the know”
online, and those left in the dark offline.
- Governance as spectacle: social media transforms governance into
performance art. Statements are crafted not for clarity but for virality,
not for the citizen but for the algorithm.
- Erosion of trust: When the poor discover policies only
through their consequences, not through prior communication, trust in
government erodes further.
The Theatre of Democracy
Nigeria’s democracy increasingly
resembles a theatre where the actors perform for critics in the balcony seats,
while the audience in the stalls, the majority, strains to hear muffled lines.
The applause comes from the elite, the digitally connected, while the poor
remain bewildered.
Broader Reflections
This paradox is not uniquely
Nigerian. Across the world, governments are seduced by the immediacy of social
media.
- United States & United Kingdom: While leaders use social media for
visibility, formal decisions and national addresses are delivered via
press conferences, televised speeches, and official government websites.
Social media is supplementary, not primary.
- Germany & France: Governments maintain strict separation
between policy communication and social media. Official decrees, laws, and
policy changes are published through gazettes, press releases, and
national broadcasters. Social media is used for outreach, not decision-making.
Yet in Nigeria, where poverty
and digital exclusion remain stark, the reliance on X is particularly
troubling. Governance is meant to be universal, not selective.
Conclusion
If democracy is to remain “of
the people, by the people, for the people,” then Nigeria must reclaim its
village square. National television, radio, and community-based communication
must not be abandoned for the allure of hashtags. Otherwise, we risk a future
where governance is not for Nigerians, but for X, an algorithmic republic
divorced from the realities of its citizens.
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