Fear of Expansion and Domination: Toxic and Ethnic Frames Amidst Call to #SayNoToRUGA on Nigerian Twittersphere

Abstract

Nigerians have, over the years, lived with mutual distrust, often escalated by ethnoreligious sentiments and sectional profiling. Government policies, for example, are at times seen through the lens of the ethnic background or sectional affiliation of the president at any given time. This study examined the kinds of frames Nigerian X (formerly Twitter) users adopted during the #SayNoToRUGA movement on X. It also investigated how the digital movement predicted the polarisation of Nigerians across ethnic and sectional divides. Through a summative content analysis of 145 purposively selected tweets of #SayNoToRUGA and propositions of framing theory, the study found four dominant frames: toxic discourse, ethnic profiling, call to social action and misinformation. Findings also revealed that toxic discourse comprised more abusive tweets alongside tweets that unjustifiably accused the Fulani tribe and constructed identities for it and its people. Fear of domination and expansion of the tribe also fuelled the level of toxic discourse on #SayNoToRUGA. The findings also predicted a significant polarisation of Nigerian X users on the digital movement across ethnic and sectional divides. Therefore, it recommends that relevant government agencies [e.g., National Orientation Agency (NOA), communication and culture ministry] host regular cultural and ethnoreligious literacy skills on X Spaces. Through Spaces, they can also consult Nigerians, with each region making its inputs on sensitive national policies such as Rural Grazing Area (RUGA).