IS PEACE WITH THE PEOPLE?

EMPLOYING CITIZEN JOURNALISM AS A TOOL FOR RESOLVING CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria has been riddled with lots of crises both ethnic and religious since the democratic dispensation in 1999. However, these crises seem to have intensified in recent years particularly under the present government. Many technocrats and statesmen/women have proffered solutions to include government interventions in crisis-prone zones, however no one has bothered to look at the governed – the role they can play in engendering peace within the country. The media are no doubt powerful tools for the promotion of peace and the widespread utilization of the social media in Nigeria can be harnessed to promote the needed peace the country craves. Thus, this paper takes a look at the recent crises in Nigeria, and how citizen journalists particularly on the social media can lend their voices to the promotion of peace in crisis prone areas. The paper therefore advocates the continuous technological empowerment of the citizens anchoring its propositions on the Technological Determinism and Diffusion of Innovation theories to argue for inclusiveness of all citizens in the digital space. If the new media hold any chance for peace at all, then they should be maximized at all cost.