E-Business
Dictators in Africa Using Social Media to Cling to Power
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni is suspected of using fake social media accounts to consolidate his power.
He wouldn’t be the only one in Africa. Is social media becoming a threat to democracy on the continent?
In early 2021, Facebook (Meta) deactivated more than 20 accounts linked to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Shortly afterward, Twitter also followed suit, closing 11% of the nearly 3,500 accounts worldwide that allegedly spread pro-government propaganda.
Thus in total, almost 440 Ugandan social media accounts close to the Ugandan government have been blocked by social media networks in the East African country to date.
Both Twitter and Facebook accuse the Ugandan government of using social media as a tool politicians to manipulate public opinion, spread disinformation, and intimidate the opposition. Facebook also stated that as part of its strategy, the Ministry of Information had been using “fake and duplicate accounts” for propaganda purposes.
A new favorite tool used by autocratic leaders
When Facebook took action, President Museveni’s press secretary, Don Wanyama, whose Facebook and Instagram accounts were also suspended, accused Facebook of trying to influence the 2021 election in Uganda:
“Shame on the foreign powers who think they can impose a puppet government on Uganda by disabling the online accounts of NRM supporters,” Wanyama wrote on Twitter at the time. Twitter said in a statement, however, that “(i)n most cases, the accounts were suspended for various violations of our platform manipulation and spam policies.”
According to analysis by the Oxford Internet Institute, the spread of misinformation driven by political organizations on social media has been sharply on the rise in recent years. The report states that in 2017, disinformation campaigns were carried out in 28 countries. Three years later, that figure had risen to 81 countries.
“The spread of fake news is a real problem,” said Ugandan human rights activist Nicholas Opiyo in a DW interview. “This method is gaining ground in countries whose leaders are desperately struggling to maintain their image and reputation on social media.”
According to Opiyo, this involves using bots and trolls, computer programs, and paid users who use fake accounts to flood social media with posts favorable to the government.
Bans across Africa
In Tanzania, Uganda’s neighbor, Twitter took similar action, removing 268 accounts for spreading “malicious reports” directed at members and supporters of the Tanzanian human rights organization Fichua Tanzania and its founder.
Meanwhile, similar reports are also surfacing from west Africa: In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari “criticized the activists of the #EndSARS movement in June and called for action to be taken against them. However, Twitter deleted this call, and in reponse, Buhari’s government banned Nigerians from accessing the micro-blogging site,” Franziska Ulm-Düsterhöft, Africa expert at Amnesty International in Germany, told DW.
The #EndSARS movement was initated by social media-savvy young Nigerians, who sought to put pressure on the government to abolish Nigeria’s controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit. The campaign also called for better overall governance in West Africa’s largest democracy.
Social media restrictions: ‘overreaction’ by elites
Back in Uganda, the government in the capital Kampala has also been trying to make it harder for Ugandans to get independent information online by imposing taxes on mobile data. The government also doesn’t shy away from temporarily shutting down social media alrogether, as was witnessed during the run-up to the presidential election a year ago.
At the time, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa initially justified the move by saying that Facebook and Twitter had shut down government accounts, making the social media blackout sound like a retaliatory measure. However, after the January 16 election, Kutesa said the shut-down had been “a necessary step to stop the biting language and incitement to violence.”
Angelo Izama, a political consultant and journalist from Uganda, describes the move rather as an “overreaction” rooted in deeply-held patriarchal beliefs. Izama says that “(t)he political leadership, especially here in sub-Saharan Africa, comes from a generation where society was structured so that the child would not contradict the father.”
“If it did, it was punished. And that’s the relationship between the state and the citizen,” Izama told DW.
But he says that society is changing, he says, leaving such political elites in the dust. Young people in particular, he highlights, are now able with the help of the internet to react immediately to laws and bans, and make their opinions known about the performance of the government or of private institutions.
Surveillance via social media
In 2021, social media shutdowns also took place in Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Senegal, Congo, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. Again, the reasons were mainly political, with protests, elections and political unrest resulting in information shutdowns across the continent, with no end in sight:
“It will take a while for those in power to understand that young people today expect them to sit down and talk to them,” political consultant Angelo Izama said. “It will also take time for those in power to stop using surveillance and monitoring as a means to counter criticism.”
Meanwhile, some governments are even going further and targeting their citizens directly by exploiting their internet affinity: “Spy software is being bought by governments and installed specifically on smartphones,” Amnesty expert Ulm-Düsterhöft told DW. “We documented this last year for Togo and Rwanda, for example. First, apps are downloaded via email attachments, then the software instals itself and accesses microphones, cameras, and social media.”
Ulm-Düsterhöft warns users not to download any unknown apps, take a close look at dubious social media accounts, and contact the app operators if in doubt.
Risks and opportunities
According to a report published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, shutting down the internet and arresting government critics voicing their views on social media channels are signs that several governments in sub-Saharan Africa are becoming increasingly autocratic.
In Uganda, author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija posted comments that were critical of the government on social media, which led to his detention, during which he allegedly was tortured by security agents.
Human rights activist Opiyo says that with reports like these, it is becoming clear that the earlier view of social media as “a liberating force for democracy” is disappearing: “(N)ow we see the dangers associated with it, and how social media can be used to undermine democratic processes. Social media is becoming another tool of oppression.”
Opiyo believes that this is why social media regulations are becoming necessary. But he also calls for users to act responsibly and remember that not everything found on social media is true.
The .ng domain name, Nigeria’s Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD), has continued to garner popularity in usage for websites and email addresses.
Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, the president of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), dropped the hint in his message to stakeholders who gathered [physically and virtually] at the association’s 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM), in Lagos, recently.
Giving account of the Executive Board of Directors (EBoD’s) stewardship in the past one year, Mr. Akinsanya said that as of February 2024, NiRA registrars have registered 215,441 .ng domain names.
He said that .ng as Nigeria’s Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) has become increasingly popular for use in websites and email addresses.
The number of .ng domain names reached 212,890 as disclosed in the NiRA Audited Account for the year ending December 31st 2023, which also shows an increase by 29,098 when compared to 183,792 recorded as at December 2022.
Mr. Akinsanya also applauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration on the Renewed Hope agenda aimed at leveraging the digital economy to better the worth of the citizens.
He also commended Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy who has shown understanding of the need to intensify the adoption of Nigeria country code top-level domain (ccTLD), .ng within and outside the government circle, adding that NiRA as a multi-stakeholder-led organization has enjoyed support from the Kashifu Inuwa led National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), especially in the crusade for both public and private organisations to switch over to .ng.
“The need for both the government and private institutions to switch-over to .ng brand is no longer negotiable in view of the significant role it plays in the country’s digital economy agenda”.
He said that NiRA supports the Minister in his efforts to ‘promote transparency in governance, protecting the Nigerian cyberspace, and promotion of the Digital Nigeria agenda’.
NiRA has been pushing for the government to accelerate the adoption of the second-level domain (. gov. ng, .edu.ng, .mil.ng) under the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD.ng).
Speaking further, the NiRA chief said that a total of twenty-two new registrars were accredited last year, “showing the collective efforts of NiRA Accredited Registrars and their Resellers, which we duly acknowledge and appreciate.
“Our commitment to nurturing a robust partnership with our accredited registrars remains unwavering. The establishment of the Registrar’s Relationship Manager position exemplified this dedication, as it provides a specialized resource to address registrars’ needs and to cultivate stronger bonds among stakeholders.
“Together, we are poised to further elevate the .ng domain and advance our collective objective”, the NiRA President said.
Earlier in her goodwill message, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, chairperson, Board of Trustees of NiRA, said: “Having gone through the documents associated with this meeting, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and appreciation for each one of you.
“Your dedication, commitment, and contributions to our organization have been instrumental in our continued success and growth.
“It is a time for us to come together as a community, to share ideas, insights, and experiences, and to reaffirm our shared vision and mission.
“As Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, I am inspired by the passion and enthusiasm that each of you brings to this body. Your unwavering support and commitment to our cause have been the driving force behind our accomplishments, and I am confident that together, we will overcome any obstacles that may lie ahead”.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has said the certification of data protection professionals in the country will significantly reduce capital flight and create more than 500,000 jobs in the sector.
L-r: Dr. Vincent Olatunji, executive commissioner, NDPC and Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president of the Institute of Information Management,
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, executive commissioner, NDPC, stated this at the presentation of the certificate of licence to the Institute of Information Management (IMF) in Abuja.
He said the certification of data protection professionals would not only enhance the protection of personal data, but also boost the country’s economic growth and development.
The projection comes as the commission intensifies efforts to promote data protection and privacy in Nigeria’s rapidly growing digital economy.
According to Dr. Olatunji, the move aims to enhance the capacity of organisations to protect personal data and promote compliance with Nigeria’s data protection regulations.
Establishing a local institution to train and certify Nigerians would significantly enhance local content in the sector, the NDPC boss hinted.
The commission, he assured his audience, was already exploring the possibility of implementing the licencing framework across Africa—a move that could potentially harmonise data protection standards and expertise across the continent.
Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president of the Institute of Information Management, said the licence would effectively address the existing gap in the data protection ecosystem, providing a much-needed solution.
Recalling that the certification process began in 2021, Dr. Oyewole reaffirmed the institute’s dedication to excellence, pledging to provide top-notch education in data protection and set a benchmark for the country’s education system in this field.
The IIM’s certification programmes will cover essential topics such as data protection principles, risk management, and compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The initiative is expected to boost the confidence of organisations and individuals in the country’s data protection landscape.
Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CrediCorp), has partnered Fintech Association of Nigeria (FinTechNGR) to drive consumer credit scheme initiative through a robust payment platform that would be provided by members of FinTechNGR.
Speaking at a Social Meet in Lagos, organised by FinTechNGR, with the theme: “Augmenting the Future, AI, Credit and Transformation of Nigerian Finance,” the Chairman, CrediCorp Board of Directors, Aderemi Abdul-Bojela, said members of FinTechNGR would have specific roles to play in the partnership, in the areas of providing robust platform for money transfer, technology evaluation, among others.
“Today, CrediCorp is engaging with members of FinTechNGR in a social interactive gathering to discuss collaboration and support for the growth of Consumer Credit Corporation in Nigeria. We want to interact to understand how technology will drive the crediCorp initiative in Nigeria and also to understand the role that members of FinTechNGR will play in all of these initiatives around CrediCorp,” Abdul-Bojela said.
Describing the partnership as a welcome development that will enhance savings culture among Nigerians, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of FinTechNGR, Dr. Babatunde Obrimah, said: “FinTechNGR is an enabler of technology advancement in Nigeria. We bring the players together to drive technology innovation.
“Our role in the FinTechNGR-CrediCorp partnership is to ensure that our members support the growth of consumer credit in Nigeria, by providing the relevant payment platforms for all financial transactions among the banks who are the lenders, the customers who are the burrowers and the CrediCorp who is the guarantor.”
Speaking about the benefits for Nigerians, Obrimah said the Consumer Credit Corporation in Nigeria would enhance the country’s credit culture and enable Nigerians to save and plan well with their savings. “The initiative will address inflation, help in liquidity flow, build trust in customers’ borrowing, boost credit culture and enhance the culture of savings among Nigerians,” Obrimah said.
Addressing the issue of risk and consumer trust, Abdul-Bojela said the CrediCorp has put measures in place to ensure that the banks that would be involved in lending, would be protected and guaranteed of the repayment of the loans within the CrediCorp ecosystem.
He said there would be an independent management that would ensure that the right technology is put in place to recover all monies.
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