From Dancing While Nigeria Drowns
In the beginning was the struggle. Then came the smartphone. And now, in the 21st-century Republic of Nigeria, revolution has been fully outsourced to ring lights and retweets.
We are no longer led by elders or activists—but by influencers. Welcome to the Influencer Republic, where hashtags are protests, selfies are strategy, and outrage is monetized per click.
Back in the day, activism meant sweat, jail time, hunger strikes, and the smell of teargas in your nostrils. Today, all you need is a curated Instagram feed, one Ankara photoshoot, a dramatic tweet thread, and maybe a branded water bottle that says “#EndSomething.” Voila—you’re a freedom fighter!
In this new order, every movement has a media kit. Every outrage has a sponsor. And every so-called revolutionary is secretly waiting for that DM from a senator’s aide asking: “How much to calm things down?”
Because in this country, even anger is on payroll.
Take a closer look at our protests. The placards are printed in full color. The slogans rhyme like Billboard hits. There’s usually a drone shot, followed by a press release—typed in Canva Pro. It’s not resistance—it’s a soft launch.
You know something’s off when the protest ends at 4 p.m. sharp because one of the “leaders” has a brand shoot with a yogurt company.
Even the chants have changed. It used to be: “No justice, no peace!” Now it’s: “Like, comment, and share!” One girl went viral not for her message, but for her gele coordination during a protest march. She was offered a styling deal by the third day.
Read also: Made In Abuja – Original Fake Promises—Part 7
And then come the hashtags. Sweet, powerful, and oh-so-temporary.
#OccupyNigeria
#EndSARS
#SecureNorth
#FixElectricity
#WhoBuiltThePothole
Each one burns bright for a few days—trending, triggering, tantalizing. Then suddenly… silence. No follow-up, no strategy, no accountability. The crowd disappears, the politicians exhale, and the influencers move on to the next paid gig: probably promoting a governor’s re-election disguised as a youth empowerment webinar.
The hustle must continue.
Don’t get it twisted—some voices are genuine. Some. But for every one true advocate, there are twelve clout-chasers in coordinated protest outfits, ready to switch sides faster than a senator crosses parties. Today, they’re calling out injustice. Tomorrow, they’re posing in a senator’s car with a caption: “Great minds discuss ideas.”
Please.
Social media activism in Nigeria has become a game of optics. Post one angry tweet about bad roads in the morning, post beach photos in Seychelles by evening—location tagged “God Did.” You can’t suffer in silence when there’s data and angles to harvest sympathy.
Even the politicians have caught on. They now hire “digital mobilizers”—a fancy term for trolls with Photoshop and a spreadsheet of hashtags. If a scandal erupts, they simply launch a distraction: “Let’s appreciate our women in governance.” Next thing, everyone’s posting filtered photos of First Ladies while the EFCC quietly buries another file.
And when the outrage gets too loud? Ah, they call a town hall meeting.
But the town hall is streamed on Zoom. The link doesn’t work. The audio is trash. And guess who’s moderating? An influencer whose last campaign was for waist trainers.
We are not citizens. We are content.
The government doesn’t fear protests anymore. They fear algorithms. They monitor TikTok more than budgets. They respond to influencers before auditors. If you want real change, you must now pass through a PR agency.
And the masses? We watch, we repost, we laugh. Because deep down, we know this is all performance. Performance wrapped in ring lights and sponsored by silence. A country where you can protest and still collect lunch from the same person you’re protesting against.
Welcome to the Hashtag Hustle.
Where justice depends on engagement, and change expires after 72 hours.
Professor MarkAnthony Ujunwa Nze is a distinguished Nigerian-born investigative journalist, public intellectual, and global governance analyst, whose work spans critical intersections of media, law, and policy. His expertise extends across strategic management, leadership, and international business law, where he brings a nuanced understanding of institutional dynamics, cross-border legal frameworks, and executive decision-making in complex global environments.
Currently based in New York, Professor Nze serves as a full tenured professor at the New York Centre for Advanced Research. There, he spearheads interdisciplinary research at the forefront of governance innovation, corporate strategy, and geopolitical risk. Widely respected for his intellectual rigor and principled advocacy, he remains a vital voice in shaping ethical leadership and sustainable governance across emerging and established democracies.