Social Media Activism and Environmental Advocacy in Southeast Nigeria: A Study of Youth-Led Online Campaigns

Youth-led social media activism has emerged as a powerful force for environmental advocacy globally, yet its specific manifestations, mobilisation strategies, and impact on environmental policy in Southeast Nigeria remain inadequately documented in communication scholarship. This study examined the nature and effectiveness of youth-led social media campaigns on environmental issues in Southeast Nigeria, with particular focus on activities on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook between 2022 and 2024. The study was anchored on the Social Movement Theory adapted for digital environments, which holds that online platforms lower barriers to collective action and enable the formation of issue-based publics around shared environmental concerns. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining a content analysis of 250 social media campaign posts with in-depth interviews with 12 purposively selected youth environmental activists in Enugu and Anambra States. Findings revealed that waste management, deforestation, erosion, and oil spillage were the most frequent environmental themes in youth-led campaigns. Campaigns that employed visual storytelling, hashtag mobilisation, and celebrity engagement achieved significantly higher reach and engagement metrics. However, documented policy or governmental responses to the campaigns were limited, suggesting a gap between online mobilisation and offline accountability. The study concluded that social media activism among Southeast Nigerian youth is vibrant and strategically sophisticated but lacks adequate linkages to institutional decision-making channels. It was recommended that youth activists build formal coalitions with civil society organisations and engage traditional and broadcast media to amplify their campaigns beyond digital platforms.
Keywords: social media activism, environmental advocacy, Southeast Nigeria, youth campaigns, social movement theory