The Benefits of Social Media in Engaging Young People on

HIV PreventionBy

Alalade Akinola OlusegunYouth Programme Assistant

Population Council, Nigeria

Outline• Overview• Nigeria Internet Statistics• Top Online Activities in Nigeria• Social Media• Nigeria’s Most Frequently Used Social

Networks• Facebook in Nigeria• Importance of Social Media• Recommendation • References

Overview• By the end of 2013 Nigeria’s population was

estimated to have grown to over 173 million people1.

• Globally 2,100 adolescents and young people are infected with HIV every day2

• Young persons aged 10-24 numbered over 63 million4. With about 3.2 million Nigerians presently living with HIV3.

• In 2012, infection rates among young people in Nigeria aged 15-19 was put at 2.9%; 20-24 at 3.2%4

Internet

Nigeria Internet Statistics

Number of internet users in Nigeria:

67,101,452

Internet penetration in Nigeria:

37.59% Internet Live Stats, July 2014

Nigeria Internet Statistics Cont.

Nigeria has the largest internet population in Africa and is 8th in the world

Internet Live Stats, July 2014

Nigeria Internet Statistics Cont.

There are more internet users in Nigeria than there are people in living in Tanzania

Based on data from Internet world stats, and Tanzania 2013 population census

Nigeria Internet Statistics Cont.

Guardian, December 10, 2014

Nigeria Internet Statistics Cont.• The average Nigerian netizen spends not

less 3 hours on the internet daily5

• 67% of Nigerian netizens are male5

• 78% of the Nigerian netizen are between the ages 19 and 355

• Students represent 45% of the Nigeria’s internet population 5

Top Online Activities in Nigeria

Online shopping

Entertainment (Music, Videos, Gaming)

Downloads

Social networking

News and information

E mail

Work, Business/studies

15%

46%

45%

72%

78%

55%

48%

Terragon insight 2013

Social Media

• Social media are forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)6.

• There are at least 9 million social media users in Nigeria5.

• Majority of social media users fall within the age bracket of 16 to 44 years7.

Social Media Cont.

83% of social media users in Nigeria are active Terragon insight,

2013

Nigeria’s Most Frequently used SNS

Linkedin

Nairaland

Mobo free

Skype

Naij

Google +

Eskimi

Twitter

2go

Facebook

13%

17%

17%

22%

23%

42%

46%

57%

77%

83%

Terragon insight, 2013

Facebook in Nigeria

5,357,500

18-241,930,420

users

male Female69% 31%

Number of users

Largest age group

Gender distribution

Socialbakers.com

Importance of Social Media• The potential exists can be explored by all

organizations dealing with issues of public health in Nigeria11

Importance of Social Media Cont.• To mobilize millions of people to support

and advance course9

Importance of Social Media Cont.• A large number of Nigerian youth can be

reached with important HIV information11 • The frequent use of social media will actively

engage the attention of youth and will keep them reminded of obligatory practices to keep them safe and healthy11

• As revealed Facebook and Twitter are the most widely used social media sites. Social media campaigns on health public issues such as HIV can refocus their effort on reaching Nigerian youth through these popular social media sites11

Recommendation • Organizations engaged in coordinating and

implementing HIV and other related infectious diseases to embrace the active use of social media services to strengthen prevention programmes.

References 1. World bank (2013)

https://www.google.com.ng/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Nigeria+population

2. UNAIDS (2014) ‘ The M A C AIDS Fund, Rihanna and UNAIDS team up to reach nearly 2 million young people in need∙ ∙ of lifesaving HIV treatment’ - See more at: http://www.avert.org/young-people-adolescents-and-hiv.htm#footnote1_rf05god

3. GARPR (2014) Nigeria Progress Report http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/country/documents/NGA_narrative_report_2014

4. Federal Ministry of Health [Nigeria] (2013). National HIV & AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey, 2012 (NARHS Plus). Federal Ministry of Health Abuja, Nigeria

5. Terragon limited (2013). State of digital media Nigeria. Available at: http://twinpinenetwork.com/publications/NIGERIA-State-of-Digital-Media-2014.pdf

6. Social media. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialmedia

7. Olowu AO, Seri FO (2012), A study of social network addiction among youths in Nigeria J. Soc. Pol. Rev. 4:62-71

8. Chapter 2:The Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria retrieved from http://www.apin.harvard.edu/Chapter2.pdf

9. Okoro N, Nwafor KA (2013). Social media and political participation in Nigeria during the 2011 general elections: the lapses and the lessons . Glob. J. Arts Hum. Soc. Sci. 1:29-46.

10. Ogunlesi T (2013) . African Facebook users in 2013. www.rjr.zarjrpd/rjr.../Youth_and_Social_media_in_Nigeria.pdf.

11. Abah, R.C., Aderibigbe, T., & Olubunmi, A. Importance of social media in engaging young people on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention. Journal of AIDS and HIV research . Vol6(8),pp.155-159, September 2014. DOI:10.5897/JAHR2014.0302