Digital Activism as Informal Accountability: Gen Z Protest Movement and Governance Legitimacy in Nigeria. (2020-2026)

Abstract

Digital activism has become an important avenue through which Nigerian youths, particularly Generation Z (Gen Z), demand accountability and participate in governance. Between 2020 and 2026, movements such as #EndSARS, the Obidient Movement, and #EndBadGovernance demonstrated how social media has evolved from a communication platform into a tool for exposing government shortcomings, mobilising citizens, and influencing public debate. This study investigates the relationship between Generation Z's digital political participation and perceived government accountability in Nigeria (2020–2026), anchored in Institutional Theory and Social Contract Theory. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, it combines structured surveys of Gen Z respondents with interviews of activists, civil society actors, and officials, alongside thematic analysis of key mobilization episodes. The study anticipates that digital participation drives short-term policy responsiveness but achieves limited durable institutional accountability due to structural exclusion. Findings will inform governance scholarship and policy on integrating informal digital accountability with formal frameworks.