The streets may seem a bit quiet now, but the internet is always abuzz with endless chants. From EndSARS to End Bad Governance, young Nigerians have learned the rhythm of resistance, and the melody of change. The use of social media has now become the new parliament where hashtags, reels, and blogs shape public conscience faster than manifestos.
Every post is a whisper, and every protest, a verse. Someday, when the history books are rewritten, they will say that the youths of this era not only trend, but they also transformed. For in the choir of hope, even hashtags can sound like hymns. Once upon a time, human outcry was measured in footsteps, chants that echoed through mega city squares, and with hands that held up all kinds of banners and posters against the wind.
Today, revolution is now marked out in hashtags, and the new battlefields are digital platforms where fearlessness is taken to another level. They no longer use only placards or public address systems; instead, they build their own megaphones out of mobile phones. In the heart of Nigeria’s digital uprising in recent times such as the EndSARS movement was a defining moment in the nation's history as people cried in distress yet charged with hope.
It was not just about police brutality alone, but also the human spirit weary of waiting for dignity to be delivered as charity. And the vociferation of a generation fed up with unfavourable repeated negative patterns with no change in sight. All they wanted was to reclaim their right to breathe, live, and be heard. For decades, Nigerian youths have been told to wait for jobs, for justice, and for recognition, but waiting has become an impairment.
So they turned to the only space still uncolonized by bureaucracy which is the internet. Amidst all the stories, reels, tweets, memes, and even viral trends, they discovered that solidarity could be built from pixels, and a single voice joined by thousands, and even millions of loyal followers could also become an anthem. Social media has now become the new forum for public opinion; Imperfect but powerful.
Every tweet is now a motion filed, and every hashtag is a manifesto; while a live stream is a testimony. There are no gatekeepers or political sponsors, only one pursuit. For the first time in years, Nigerian youth are beginning to speak in unison across faiths, tribes, and continents. Their mutual language is anguish and their joint mission is to achieve positive change. We hope that someday, justice and fairness like rain, will return to this part of the earth.
Hashtags cannot heal the sick in hospitals or feed hungry children in classrooms. Retweets do not repair roads or reform institutions. So the next chapter of this great awakening must be written offline, and in ballot boxes and boardrooms.
Since this digital era gave the youth a voice, the next step is to provide them with a mechanism, because true change is not just measured in trends alone, but in real-life transformation. God bless all the young and vibrant men and women trying to make our country Nigeria great. All your efforts will not be in vain. Thank you.
✍🏽 William Z. Bozimo
Veteran Journalist | Columnist | National Memory Keeper
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