Social Media Campaigns on National Security Alertness: perspectives and challenges in the present-day Nigeria

Abstract

The prevalence of insecurity in Nigeria is a nightmare across geo-political zones. The failed military structure has caused lives of many innocent citizens. This study is a cross-sectional study of 400 respondents on “Social Media Campaigns on National Security Alertness: perspectives and challenges of prevalent kidnapping and incessant killings. The general objective is to ascertain social media campaign effectiveness in combating security issues in present day Nigeria. The specific objectives measured; level of awareness of security alertness by respondents; on National issues and the level of knowledge of security alertness by respondents on National Securities. The work was anchored on social learning theory and new media theory. The data was presented on tables, frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study showed that social media campaigns on national security alertness increased the awareness level of respondents. The respondents were moderately aware of security issues although the fake news of social media created some false alarm and misled some respondents to a certain degree. The knowledge level of the respondents was high after the various campaigns’ exposure. Though. majority of the respondents were negatively affected by inaccurate security messages on social media misinformation as they could not be different from fake news trickling the social media. Hence, media literacy and education become a critical area of concern for journalists. thereby showing that respondents face challenges in accessing security messages. This study recommends that the government should take interest in mobilizing people in taking interest in security issues in Nigeria, which can be done by organizing public awareness campaigns using various media channels with understandable messages to read a wide range of audiences, integrating it in school curriculums, setting up hotlines and reporting mechanisms. Also, social media platforms should take more responsibility in verifying the accuracy of security messages.