Seun Kuti Discusses The Limitations Of Social Media Activism

Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has expressed his views on the increasing dependence on social media activism, claiming that online campaigns frequently fall short of effecting significant societal change.

In a recent video, the musician remarked that many individuals overly rely on the impact of social media, despite numerous prominent campaigns not achieving their desired results.

Referencing Nigeria’s recent history, Seun identified past advocacy movements to illustrate how public engagement on social media does not necessarily convert into tangible actions or enduring solutions.

He indicated that Nigerians often utilize the same protest and awareness strategies while anticipating different outcomes, even when previous attempts have shown limited effectiveness.

“If you recall, during the last administration, we constantly called for ‘Bring Back Our Girls.’ This phrase persisted from Jonathan to Buhari, yet the girls were still not returned when Buhari took office. Ultimately, it became a topic people would attack or insult you for bringing up. In Nigeria, we consistently repeat the same strategies and hope for a different result. Social media is not as powerful as many believe. If it truly had the influence people think, governments would not allow unfettered access to it. Social media is subject to regulations and controls. Algorithms can restrict content. In my last video, the audio was removed, and when I tried to post again, the post was limited in visibility. Therefore, what we assume we are accomplishing by simply creating videos online is insufficient,” he stated.

Seun additionally contended that the structure of social media platforms hampers their effectiveness as tools for ongoing activism, noting that content visibility can be affected by moderation practices, platform policies, and algorithms.

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