Data As a Tool and Object of Contention: Datafying Social Movements in Nigeria

In recent times, social movement scholarship witnessed a data turn, theoretically and in praxis. On one hand, scholars account for the use of data in activism. On the other hand, studies examine data as objects of contention. Methodologically, research has also put forward the complexities of understanding social movements through big data, and algorithms by extension. Within these contexts, this research adapts from social movement and critical data studies to account for four ways data has been engaged in social movements in Nigeria. This study findings rely on online ethnography, including in-depth interviews, of thirty (30) social movement actors across three case studies - 2012 #OccupyNigeria, 2014 #BringBackOurGirls, and 2020 #EndSARS. Firstly, actors use data to map social movements across different geographical zones within and outside the country, given platforms’ socio-technical affordability. Secondly, data is used to counter official government narratives in relation to the issues being protested. Thirdly, data is used to organise legal services for arrested and detained participants. More importantly, this research also evidences data as an object of contention and accounts for how data is used to improve the visibility of women across all three movements. This study contributes to the current discourse of ‘datafied movements’ by critically examining the role of data in transforming collective action in Nigeria.