SOME experts combatting information disorder in Nigeria have raised alarm over the increasing wave of ethno-religious hate speech on social media, attributing the trend to political interests, financial incentives and cultural extremism.
This was disclosed during an X Space hosted by The FactCheckHub on May 16, 2025 tagged: How to curb ethno-religious hate speech.
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The event saw media professionals and digital influencers unpacked the underlying motivations behind religious and ethnic-related hate speech, particularly on XÂ and explored actionable solutions to curb the growing menace.
Motivations for online hate speech
One of the speakers, the Digital Investigation Manager at DAIDAC, Silas Jonathan, emphasised the importance of understanding the motivations driving online hate speech.
He identified four primary motivations for online hate speech namely: political manipulation, monetisation of social media, cultural extremism, and attention-seeking behaviour. According to him, the monetisation policies introduced under Elon Musk’s ownership of X have incentivised divisive content.
“It means that this profiteering of Twitter as a platform made users who initially used to share this information, but are careful of what they share. Now, they’ve taken off the restraint. What it means is that in the past, you’ll see someone who would likely be careful not to share any ethnocentric comments. Now, all of this is gone because there’s a profit tied to it.
“If someone posts a video that is aimed at inciting violence and you’re trying to talk about it, you don’t have to also post back that same video because you can talk about it without posting that same video because when you post that video, you’re probably still pushing on the narrative that might not even be true in the first place,” Jonathan added.
Also speaking, a digital influencer and content creator, Blaqboi Victor, called on influencers to use their platforms to challenge stereotypes and promote national unity. He also stressed the need for storytelling that highlights positive inter-ethnic experiences.
“For example, if you see a post by someone directly trying to incite hate towards a particular group, I think as an influencer that have a platform, the most basic and direct thing you can do is to actually counter it with facts; because posts like that travel far, if you don’t.
“Another way is actually for these influencers to actually share verified information, to foster some understanding by sharing positive stories about inter-ethnic experiences. For example, an Igbo influencer with a big platform may share stories about his experience when he was in Yoruba land and how he was treated with kindness,” Victor stressed.
He observed that the problem is no longer limited to X as it has spread to other social media platforms like TikTok. He urged influencers to amplify diverse voices and promote empathy, adding that notable social media figures must be intentional about fostering unity.
Regulating hate speech without undermining free speech
Also contributing to the conversation, a senior investigative journalist at the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu, noted that regulating ethnic discourse on social media is complex due to freedom of expression concerns.
He referenced the recent JAMB-UTME controversy, where misinformation alleging ethnic targeting was widely circulated.
“JAMB erred, we all agree on that but there are several people who are suggesting that it was targeted against the Igbos. It was intentioned to hurt Igbo people. Some are saying that Lagos was included just so it looks like it was balanced.
“But it’s difficult for platforms like X to pull down some of these narratives because it’s people airing their opinions,” Ojukwu explained.
He warned that while content moderation is important, it must be balanced with the protection of civil liberties.
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Ojukwu called for more active citizen engagement by public institutions like the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to promote a shared national identity over ethnic loyalty.
“If X is pulling down every tweet, every post, every publication that mentions the tribe of a person, then one could argue that it is an attack on free speech. Another could argue that, oh, yes, it is a step in the right direction so we don’t have tribal divisions on social media space.
“We’ve had tribal differences all over the world. And I think that while we are experiencing the version we are currently experiencing in Nigeria is because of how many of us hold on to our tribes more than we try to nationalize ourselves. The National Orientation Agency could do a lot better in that regard,” Ojukwu stressed.
As Nigeria faces an increasingly polarized digital space, these experts further called for collective responsibility from influencers, tech platforms, government institutions, and everyday users to curb the menace.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
