Louis Otaesiri Prof Colette Mazzucelli

 This paper explores #1. How social media may be used as an alternative to the existing local communicative structure to campaign against oil spills, using the Niger Delta region of Nigeria as a case study.  #2. How the use of social media would galvanize, collaborate and organize a robust transnational advocacy network (TAN) of interest groups, NGOs and other actors with shared values, and how this can be an overarching approach to sustaining a civil society against oil spills.

 Networks that are formed in cyberspace stretch their power and influence into urban space and transcend national boundaries (Castells M. 2012).  From Habermas Model to New Public Sphere: A Paradigm Shift “Not everything or everyone is globalized, but the global networks that structure the planet affect everything and everyone” (Mohammed Zubair K et al., 2012). This idea implies that a concerted effort of local convergence in furtherance of common public opinion against the status quo in a society will ultimately bring about a revolution from the local to the global.

 Nigeria is a country with a population of about 170 million with GDP growth rate of 6.81%  The petroleum industry which is over 50 years is currently the largest revenue generating industry in Africa and the main GDP generator in Nigeria  Single Resource economy with 80% crude oil exports  Daily loses of 400,000 barrels (16.8million U.S gallons) to oil spills (through sabotage and equipment failure) which amounts to about 20% of the total oil produced in the region costing an average of $20 billion annually Source:

 International & National NGOs  Religious organizations: Churches/Mosques  Academic Institutions: The elite society  Interest groups: OPC, Arewa, Ndi’ gbo, Niger Delta Militants.  Communities How Nigerians use Social Media 56 million internet users: 84% always online with 45% using social media 115 million mobile Telephone subscribers with 35million smart phones and handheld devices 34 percentage growth in internet usage between 2000 and 2012

The Niger Delta has 75% reliance on natural endowment: Air, Land, water and forest resources. Environmental contamination Social devastation The 2011 United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report found that to clean up the oil pollution in Ogoni Land of Niger Delta would cost more than $1billion. The clean up will take 30 years. This would be the largest clean up exercise ever done.

Impacts of oil spill in the Niger Delta

 Ken Saro Wiwa a Nigerian writer and activist founded the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) in 1990 to promote democratic awareness, environmental protection and non-violent campaign against government repression.  About 300,000 people under MOSOP took part in peaceful marches across various kingdoms in Ogoni land, campaigning against environmental pollution caused by oil spills. over 1500 supporters of MOSOP were slaughtered through several attacks on their villages by military men of the Abacha government. On 10th November 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the MOSOP hanged to death under the military dictatorship of Sani Abacha. Case against Shell Nigeria  Ken Saro Wiwa a Nigerian writer and activist founded the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) in 1990 to promote democratic awareness, environmental protection and non-violent campaign against government repression.  About 300,000 people under MOSOP took part in peaceful marches across various kingdoms in Ogoni land, campaigning against environmental pollution caused by oil spills. over 1500 supporters of MOSOP were slaughtered through several attacks on their villages by military men of the Abacha government. On 10th November 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the MOSOP hanged to death under the military dictatorship of Sani Abacha. Case against Shell Nigeria Past campaign efforts of host communities of oil exploration

Wealth distribution

 Using social media like twitter, facebook, youtube, Skype, google hang-out will foster integration of views.  Creating compelling content; captivating twitter hash tags like #NaijaOilSpill #DeadFish #PipelineVandal  Creating fan pages on facebook “Like and follow”  Broadcasting happenings of oil spill related events  Creating blogs to get into trending topics within the context using buzz words  Crowd-sourcing information.  Involving partnerships, forming coalitions and promoting with other organizations  Impelling communication through participatory culture and incorporating web 2.0 platforms.  Advancing campaigns, and spreading cognizance in virtual and real communities.

Celebrity endorsements on social media

Virtual Community

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 The use of the social media to campaign against oil spill will help to build new links amidst civil society actors, states and international organizations. It will also create a connection for discourse with rapid response and exchange from the local to the global community and vise versa (Keck and Sikkink, 1999).

Questions ?