Beyond Tweets and Screams: Action for Empowerment and Accountability in Nigeria – The Case of the #BBOG Movement
An in-depth analysis of the case of the Bring Back Our Girls (#BBOG) movement in Nigeria
Abstract
This paper explores the nature, role and dynamics of new forms of social and political action as pathways to empowerment and accountability in fragile conflict- and violence-affected settings in Africa. Through an in-depth analysis of the case of the Bring Back Our Girls (#BBOG) movement in Nigeria and a multi-methods approach, the paper provides new knowledge that addresses evidence gaps in the following areas:
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the multiple ways through which social and political action play out in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings;
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whether the conditions in which new forms of social and political action applicable to fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings – the settings most dominant in African countries – emerge as currently projected in the literature;
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whether these social and political actions necessarily produce accountability and empowerment in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings. Although often expressed as contentious and/or unruly politics, experiences from the BBOG movement suggest that the new forms of social and political action possess a wide range of implications for citizen action and governance, including leading to multiple forms of empowerment in fragile settings.
This work is part of the Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) programme
Citation
Aina,T.A.; Atela, M.; Ojebode, A.; Dayil, P. and Aremu, F. (2019) Beyond Tweets and Screams: Action for Empowerment and Accountability in Nigeria – The Case of the #BBOG Movement, IDS Working Paper 529, Brighton: IDS
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