‘Ethnoreligious-based hate-speeches dominate social media’

Research findings have revealed that use of hate-speeches dominates social media platforms.

Specifically, the findings indicated that ethnicity and religious-based dangerous speeches are topmost and more frequently used by social media users.

The monthly-based ICT research conducted by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) under the “Curbing Hate and Dangerous Speeches in Nigeria Project, was aimed at addressing the hate-classified speeches online and offline.

The Project Co-ordinator, Hamza Ibrahim, who disclosed this at press briefing in Kano at the weekend, said that 437 hate-speeches were captured on various social media platforms, website of conventional and online newspapers in the months of August and September 2018.

Hamza noted that background check of the just-concluded findings revealed hate-speakers spread across the six geo-political zones of the country with young people forming over 80 per cent.

He said ethnic-based hate-speeches top most with 132 followed by religious-based ones with 94 speeches.

Hamza, who expressed worry that with the outcome of the findings, ethnic and religious intolerance are fast eating deep into the fabric of the nation, said the spirit of love and patriotism for one another, which the national anthem preaches, is being jeopardised and polarised by dangerous speeches in the country.

He said even though political hate-speeches were not significantly high during the period under findings, previous records captured potent danger to the body of polity, adding that as the 2019 general elections approach, inflammatory speeches from political gladiators on multimedia are on the increase.

The project co-ordinator, therefore, appealed to owners of conventional and online media outlets to take interest in monitoring conversations on their website with a view to curb dangerous speeches.