TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                      -                                   -                      

Certification                                                 -                                   -                      

Dedication                                                    -                                   -                      

Acknowledgement                                                -                                   -                      

Table of Contents                                       -                                   -                      

Abstract                                           

Chapter one 

Introduction

1.1 Background to the study

1.2 Statement of the problem

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY       

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.5 HYPOTHESES

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1.7   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.8 LIMITATION OF STUDY

1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

                                                           CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Concept of TikTok Politics and Youth Radicalization in Nigerian politics

In a relatively short period of time, TikTok has managed to change from being a source of entertainment into a digital space for political communication, identity construction, and political engagement of the youth. Nigeria, which comprises over 60 percent of its citizens who are under the age of 25, is another country where TikTok politics is gaining popularity and is an important tool that may impact people’s political awareness, opinions, and engagement. TikTok politics is defined as “the use of TikTok for political communication, activism, satire, and persuasion.” Therefore, TikTok politics can be explained as a digital platform where politically-oriented content is produced and disseminated. Although this digitization might facilitate youths’ involvement in political discourse, there are concerns about misinformation, echo chambers, and youth radicalization. .The radicalization of youth, in the present study, is defined as the process whereby young individuals embrace very strong political, ideological, or social beliefs which could culminate into acts of intolerance, aggression, and disruption. It is worth noting that radicalization does not necessarily mean violence; rather, it entails ideological extremism, polarizing actions, and disregard for democratic discussion. The use of the TikTok’s algorithm to distribute content and the nature of emotional and viral videos makes political ideologies, both moderate and radical, spread fast among Nigerians.

TikTok as a Political Communication Platform Among Young Adults in Nigeria

The structure of TikTok enables its users to produce videos that vary in length from 15 seconds to several minutes. These videos can be complemented by the use of music, texts, special effects, and other features. Unlike political communications delivered through traditional platforms, such as TV and newspaper channels, the content available on TikTok is highly dependent on algorithm-driven recommendations. As such, emotional politics tends to prevail over objective and accurate content on TikTok.

Currently, TikTok has become a platform that allows Nigerians to discuss governance-related matters and criticize governmental actions. TikTok serves not only as a medium for the distribution of political jokes but also as a source for discussing election results. The main topics addressed by the youth include corruption, police violence, lack of job opportunities, and other forms of insecurity. In accordance with Eze & Ibrahim (2026), TikTok has become a “digital public square” for Nigerian youths, which helps them to freely express their political views..

Mechanisms of Youth Radicalization on TikTok Among Young Adults in Nigeria

The process of radicalization in TikTok is based on various mechanisms that are related and work together. One of the most prominent factors is algorithmic amplification. The recommendation mechanism studies user's behavior and offers similar content in order to keep the user engaged. Once a user comes across politically motivated or extremist materials, the TikTok recommendation engine will continue to offer more similar content, resulting in shrinking of exposure to different perspectives. This is how the "echo chamber" effect emerges, with users continuously exposed to one-sided stories (Adebayo & Suleiman, 2026).

Emotional storytelling is another factor. Videos posted on TikTok are often focused on emotionally driven narratives, ranging from anger to humor and even outrage. These emotions help to get attention from users and affect their perceptions. Emotional stories have been proven to improve memory retention and development of belief systems. Nigerian creators frequently refer to real-life socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, inflation, and insecurity to create emotional narratives (Okafor et al., 2026).

Politically oriented content driven by influencers is another way through which radicalization occurs. In this regard, influencers having a large number of followers are able to influence the opinions of their followers regarding politics through supporting particular politicians, criticizing the activities of the government, or propagating ideologies. Young users have a lot of confidence in these influencers because of their relatability and credibility..

TikTok and Political Awareness Among Nigerian Youth

Although there have been fears regarding radicalization, TikTok has also helped Nigerian youths become more politically aware. Through TikTok, citizens are able to take part in political debates without having to undergo any media training whatsoever. Through videos, youths are now being educated on such political topics as election procedures, civil rights, governance, and government policies.

As indicated by Yusuf and Danladi (2026), TikTok has tremendously contributed to enhancing political awareness among university students in Nigeria. This is because it makes political concepts easier to understand and consume. TikTok also promotes civic awareness by advocating for voter education and activism in relation to governance. However, political awareness will always be reliant on the credibility of content consumed through this medium.

Misinformation and Political Manipulation Among Young Adults in Nigeria

One of the most significant problems in relation to TikTok politics is that of misinformation. Being generated by users themselves and being barely moderated, the information related to politics can be false or misleading. Such misleading videos may include manipulation of images or statements about the people or structures in politics, as well as distortion of statistical data.

As for Nigeria, where politics is one of the key spheres of life, misinformation in TikTok may exacerbate ethno-political tension and political competition as well as create a lack of confidence in the country's political institutions. As was noted by Bello and Ojo in their research conducted in 2026, social networks like TikTok play an important role in political polarization of youths in Nigeria..

Socioeconomic Drivers of Youth Radicalization Among Young Adults in Nigeria

The radicalization of youths on the TikTok social platform in Nigeria cannot be explained in isolation from the background socioeconomic conditions. Unemployment, poverty, poor governance, and lack of opportunity for civic engagement leave young people frustrated, which makes them more susceptible to any kind of radical political narrative that promises change and empowerment.

Political narratives in TikTok social media usually capitalize on young people's frustrations by depicting politics through content that is meant to frustrate and disappoint young people about the current system. Whereas some of the political content in TikTok social media brings out real problems in society, others tend to sensationalize and exaggerate facts, thus increasing hostility towards politics.

Psychological and Social Effects of TikTok Political Exposure Among Young Adults in Nigeria

The consumption of politics through TikTok can have considerable effects on youths' mental state as well as social dynamics. The prolonged exposure to politically-charged and emotive content can cause stress, irritability, and cognitive overstimulation. It can also promote identity politics, wherein one identifies oneself with a certain political or ideological affiliation.

In terms of social implications, the politicization of TikTok could either bring youths together or drive them apart. For instance, TikTok could create a sense of community and encourage youths to collaborate in order to achieve their desired social change. At the same time, however, it can increase polarization, which means that youth would be intolerant of each other.

Positive Dimensions of TikTok Politics Among Young Adults

Although TikTok politics is not without its dangers, there are several beneficial aspects of the phenomenon for democracy in Nigeria. Among them is the opportunity for marginalized groups to voice their concerns as well as youth empowerment and political accountability. Anti-corruption and civic awareness campaigns, for example, have become increasingly popular on TikTok.

Moreover, it offers opportunities for political education by simplifying complicated policy questions for citizens. Many young Nigerians who do not receive proper political education can find a way of educating themselves through TikTok content. According to Eze and Ibrahim (2026), TikTok has widened the horizons of political participation by facilitating youth digital activism.

Balancing Political Engagement and Radicalization Risks Among Nigerian youths

It is also worth mentioning that TikTok’s politics have some dual nature since this platform can both empower users and radicalize them, and one should consider it if they are searching for balance. Although TikTok motivates youths’ political engagement, it may also become the platform for radicalization. Thus, it is critical to foster digital literacy through certain programs at schools and civil societies and policymakers.

Platform regulation matters as well since they can help mitigate dangerous misinformation without violating freedom of speech. Transparency of algorithms will facilitate the process of avoiding radicalization while promoting democracy simultaneously. Politics of TikTok is a new field of political communication in Nigeria. This social media application has changed everything regarding the ways youths receive political information and express their views. Nonetheless, the essence of TikTok politics, defined through algorithmic nature of the content produced on this social platform, emotions, and virility, is what partially drives youth ideology toward extremism.

The dual impact of TikTok politics must be recognized for one to understand the field fully. While TikTok politics has provided youths a platform to strengthen themselves, TikTok politics may also drive youths to adopt extremist ideologies. The mitigation of threats from TikTok politics requires multi-staged efforts.