Fake news in Nigeria: global phenomenon, local realities

This study examines the motivations for sharing misinformation on social media platforms in Nigeria. The study conceptualises social media platforms as digital commons and draws on twelve focus group discussions involving ninety-two participants from the three regional nodes of Nigeria (north, east, west). The findings suggest that sharing misinformation about patriotism, altruism, ethnicity, religion, and regional differences on social media has the potential to abuse the digital commons. However, while the digital commons are universal, their abuse is mediated by contextual realities that are specific to the Nigerian context. Also, there are indications that network ties influence Nigerian audiences’ response to misinformation on social media. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of our findings for a transitional democracy such as Nigeria.