PUBLIC OPINION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AGE: A STUDY OF ENDSARS MOVEMENT

Abstract

The process of making public policies is often influenced by a number of factors and considerations, one of which is public opinion. This research addresses the effect of the digitalization of public opinion in Nigeria. Policy-making and implementation have been described as one of the major problems confronting Nigeria in its effort to achieve national development. The objectives of the study are to discover the extent to which social media has impacted public opinion, particularly on the disbandment of the SARS unit in Nigeria, and also to know what the future holds for digital public opinion in Nigeria. The study applied both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative method was used through administration of online questionnaire to respondents while qualitative was used through journals and library sources. The target population of the study were the active social media users. The sample size needed for this study is 385 which was done via a random sampling method. This study concludes that the social media has become an effective tool for mobilization and public opinion in the country. The study recommends that government should also make its presence on the social media visible in order to monitor the demands of the people on the political system, and also correct wrong information as well as curtail the usage of the social media for disintegrative purposes.