Leveraging Social Media and Mobile Technology for Disaster Communication in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66050/x77jr639Keywords:
social media, mobile technology, disaster communication, communicationNigeria, emergency management, digital infrastructure, early warning systemsAbstract
The qualitative and literature-based research presented here examines how Nigeria utilized social media and mobile phones for disaster communication between 2020 and 2025. To this end, it assesses the literature through a systematic review and narrative synthesis, as well as peer-reviewed articles, institutional reports, and policy documents. The research explores the evolving digital ecosystem of emergency management in Nigeria. The study's results indicate that the adoption of social media in disaster management in Africa has not yet reached the levels seen in countries such as the United States, Japan, and Australia in terms of initial uptake and the mainstreaming of the technology into disaster management processes. Even though as of January 2025, Nigeria has 107 million internet users (45.4% penetration rate) and 38.7 million active social media users (16.4% of the population) (Nyambo et al., 2024; Agbeyangi et al., 2024), significant challenges are still in place, such as a lack of infrastructure, rising misinformation, a low level of digital literacy, and distrust. One of the significant contributions highlighted by the study was that social media influencers, such as @Aproko_doctor, who had engagement rates comparable to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control but far greater interaction metrics, were the most public interactive during the 2020 Lagos lockdown for COVID-19 compared to official health authorities while still community leaders were the most preferred for flood risk communication (Akingbade, 2021; Marsh et al., 2024). The research examines the use of various platforms, the methods of disseminating early warnings, and the dual nature of digital technologies in Nigeria’s disaster communication scene, where they act as both facilitators and barriers. Among other things, the main recommendations include the need for integrated digital-traditional communication systems, digital literacy programs with improved outreach, and stronger public-private partnerships to establish an efficient, sustainable disaster communication infrastructure.
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