CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Nigeria is in desperate need of rapid development, given its strong image in Africa as a continental powerhouse and the necessity to harness the nation's potentials in order to strategically reposition her economy on the world map in the twenty-first century. The country, which has a population of over 200 million people, is endowed with both natural resources and the environment.

Nigeria, like other African countries, has experienced its fair share of colonialism, which ended on October 1st, 1960, when the British government awarded the country freedom. Nigeria's independence is undeniably a political phenomena, as the country remains financially and socially dependent on foreign countries, particularly wealthy ones such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and China.

Nigeria's new period of reliance on foreign nations has come to be known as neo - colonialism. Neo-colonialism, according to Kwame Nkrumah, is "the worst type of imperialism." It entails power without accountability for those who wield it and abuse without recourse for those who suffer from it... a phase in imperialism's evolution...more devious, sophisticated, and destructive than old imperialism.

 It not only stops its victims from growing economic potential for their own benefit, but it also has a stranglehold on the country's political life, assisting the indigenous bourgeoisie in maintaining inequality and injustice of the masses (Alapiki, 2014: 48). The definition of neocolonialism by Kwame Nkrumah underscores Nigeria’s staggering development agenda. The most populous country on the African continent has emerged as a strategic business hub for her West African neighbours. Nigeria's business community is heavily invested in commodities such as crude oil, electronics, and household goods from European countries, Asian countries, and America. Nigeria's economic dependency on foreign countries has resulted in the nation's lack of industrial progress and greater reliance on foreign goods and services.

For its direct connection to colonialism, neocolonialism is more visible in the social sector than in the economic one. The social sector is concerned with human behaviour such as patriotism, morals, and citizens' engagement in the formation of society as influenced by socialisation agents such as the home, school, and society. Others are the church and the media(Alapiki, 2014).

Social media are extremely powerful communication conduits in today's environment. Scholars are debating the impact of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and a slew of entertainment channels on Nigerians' cultural and moral behaviour. Most African media academics argue that social media has influenced Nigerians and other Africans to adopt consumer culture lifestyles.

Social media has ushered Nigerians into the globalized world in a more significant way. The information of these social media platforms come from countries in Europe and America, where the worldwide media  headquarters are based. Western societies are at the centre of the global economy, determining the political, economic, and socio-cultural features of countries in the periphery of the globalisation map(Alapiki, 2014).

The influence of these social media activity is contributing to Nigeria's development problems. Advertisements for industrial and home products such as cars, foreign soaps, and clothing are broadcast by satellite and cable, among other activities. Foreign movies, foreign sports, and foreign educational programmes are among the other options.

However, it is unclear to what extent Africans' embrace of diverse countries conveyed through social media has influenced their attitude and habits, particularly in terms of patriotic devotion to the continent's growth(Redmond, 2010).

We learn from other people's actions, and media information influences our attitudes through attention, memory, and desire (Ike, 2014). Media imperialism is the global dominance of media output by a limited number of Western and international conglomerates (Redmond, 2010), As a result, the rising link among media imperialism, cultural imperialism, and neocolonialism in Africa raises concerns. Media imperialism is seen as a factor that perpetuates neocolonialism and delays economic and sociocultural growth in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Global marketing, for example, is described as the deployment of the same basic advertising message across all foreign markets (Belch and Belch, 2010), has the tendency to convey the cultures and ideologies of the developed countries through such social media platforms such as twitter, Facebook etc. It is on this the study centers on social media as neo colonialism.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

There has been a widening difference in their level of development as a result of many years of colonisation of Africa by wealthier nations. Africa has been left to suffer in abject poverty and economic regression while the industrialized sector thrives in economic, social, and political wealth and stability. Africa has continued to be subjected to a sophisticated kind of imperialism and economic exploitation by their former colonial powers many years after their independence. The social media have introduced numerous skewed perceptions of values in a variety of ways and through a variety of programmes, portraying everything foreign as intelligent, beautiful, and civilised while portraying everything local as savage

Technology is not developed on a national level. Imports from wealthy countries have bred an aversion to foreign goods. Fashion is construed by teenagers and even some people to represent the mutilation of our culture, as they imitate dressing patterns in their daily lives. Africans no longer have control over the circumstances that shape their culture. What individuals value as culture is now determined by social media. Our established moral ideals have been undermined by the misleading media goods broadcast to Africa. Western Neocolonialism has had a devastating impact on African culture. It is on this the study centers on social media as neo colonialism.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is assessment of social media on as Neocolonialism. other specific objectives include

1To asses neo colonialism and class structure in Africa

2 To examine the impact of social media on Neo colonialism

3 To examine the relationship between social media and Neo colonial Nigeria

4 To examine social media as a tool for cultural imperialism

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1) What is neo colonialism and class structure in Africa?

2) What is the impact of social media on Neo Colonialism?

3) What is the relationship between social media and Neo colonial Nigeria?

4) How does social media serve as a tool for cultural imperialism in Nigeria?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study would enable the researcher to pass their experience on the subject matter to

GOVERNMENT MEDIA HOUSES: This study will help the ministry of Information and communication  in making suitable policies in media industry in other to fight Neo colonialism and encourage local contents in our social media space.

 Schools and students: This will serve as a medium for further research.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

The study covers social media as neo colonialism

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher was faced with the following constraints in carrying out this study:

Time: The time within the researcher is too short to carry on the detail study on this topic.

Resources: Another constraint of the researcher is financial resources to carry on the detail study of this topic. Data: Another limitation to this study will be lack of data to make valid study on the research problem.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

SOCIAL MEDIA: They are forms of electronic communication which facilitate interactive base on certain interests. Social media include web and mobile technology

NEO COLONIALISM: Neocolonialism takes the form of economic imperialism, globalization, cultural imperialism and conditional aid to influence or control developing country instead of the previous colonial methods of direct military control or indirect political control (hegemony).