Diaspora Social Media Use and State Legitimacy in Nigeria

尼日利亚估计有超过2.15亿人口，是全球最成熟的侨民社区之一。这些尼日利亚人(估计约有1500万人)经常寄钱回家，以支持他们所在社区的亲人和其他社会经济发展倡议。然而，来自学术文献的证据表明，除了汇款，散居海外的尼日利亚人还对本国的民族政治(包括竞选活动和分离主义煽动)感兴趣。该项目以伊博人为例，通过探索侨民政治、社交媒体和公民对黑人国家合法性的认知之间的联系，考察了侨民尼日利亚人已经或能够做到这一点的程度。具体地说，这项研究试图了解塑造公民对国家合法性看法的历史和文化因素；询问关于社交媒体如何为国内和海外公民提供参与自身和国家参与的机构的辩论；探索这种关系如何决定本国的政治/发展结果；并评估这些关系如何适用于尼日利亚等基础设施国家。这项研究的发现将对关于国家-社会关系的文献和关于公民身份、散居海外的关系和国家合法性的理论辩论做出重大贡献。鉴于社交媒体在政治和政治行为中发挥的越来越大的作用，它也与政府相关。

With an estimated population of over 215 million, Nigeria has one of themost established diaspora communities globally. These Nigerians(estimated to be about 15 million) often send money home to supporttheir loved ones and other socio-economic development initiatives in theircommunities. However, evidence from academic literature suggest thatbeyond remittances, the Nigerian diaspora are also interested in nationalpolitics (including election campaigns and separatist agitations) in theirhome country. This project examines the extent to which diasporaNigerians have or can do this by exploring the link between diasporapolitics, social media, and citizens' perception of state legitimacy inNigeria using Igbo people as case study. Specifically, the study seeks tounderstand historical and cultural factors that shape citizens' perceptionsof state legitimacy; interrogate debates on how social media providesagency for citizens at home and in the diaspora to engage themselves andthe state; explore how such relations determine political/developmentoutcomes in the home country; and assess how these are applicable infragile states such as Nigeria. Findings from this study will make asignificant contribution to literature on state-society relations andtheoretical debates on citizenship, diaspora relations and state legitimacy.It is also relevant to governments given the increasing role that socialmedia plays in politics and political behaviour.