Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has questioned the effectiveness of online activism, arguing that Nigerians must move beyond posting videos and running digital campaigns if they want meaningful change in the country.
In a video shared on his verified Instagram page, Kuti said social media activism is often overrated and does not always lead to concrete action or tangible results.
According to him, if social media were as powerful as many people believe, governments would not allow citizens unrestricted access to digital platforms.
“Social media is not as powerful as many people think it is. If social media truly had the power people believe it has, governments would not allow unrestricted access to it,” he said.
Kuti also argued that social media platforms are regulated and controlled, noting that algorithms can suppress content and limit its reach.
“Social media is regulated and controlled. Algorithms can suppress content. My last video had its audio removed, and I returned to post again, but the post was restricted,” he said.
The musician cited Nigeria’s past advocacy efforts, including the Bring Back Our Girls campaign following the abduction of schoolgirls, as an example of how sustained online campaigns do not always achieve their intended outcomes.
“If you remember clearly, during the previous administration, we kept shouting ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ every day. From Jonathan to Buhari, the slogan continued. Even when Buhari came into office, the girls were still not returned,” he said.
Kuti added that unresolved national issues often reach a point where those who continue to raise them face criticism from the public.
“It later became a situation where if you bring it up, people will attack or insult you,” he said.
He further argued that Nigerians have continued to rely on the same approaches while expecting different outcomes.
“As usual, in Nigeria, we keep repeating the same tactics and expecting a different result,” he said.
Kuti maintained that the country deserves more than videos and expressions of outrage on social media.
“Nigeria deserves more than our videos from you,” he said.
He concluded that while online platforms can help create awareness, relying solely on digital campaigns is insufficient to bring about meaningful change.
“So, in reality, what we think we are achieving by simply making videos online is not enough,” he said.
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