Social media and citizens' involvement in governance: Focus on facebook comments on anti-open grazing bill in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

Against the backdrop that social media platforms avail citizens the opportunity to influence governance, the study examines citizens’ involvement in the passage of anti-open grazing bill in Benue State, Nigeria. The objective is to determine whether Facebook can be a uniting platform among citizens thereby, facilitating democratic development. The population of study is all text messages posted on Facebook pertaining to the anti-open grazing bill. Adopting qualitative approach, the study content-analyses Facebook posts purposively selected between March and June 2017. The study descriptively analyses data. Deducing from the data, Facebook plays a cohesive role for citizens to register their concerns with a view to influencing government legislations and actions. While the study recommends the sustained use of Facebook in canvassing for a cause with moderation, it also recommends that government at all levels should always show commitment in addressing issues capable of disrupting peaceful co-existence among people.