Let us look at the hate speech phenomenon on which I have carried out academic research in recent times. The possible effect of hate speech is determined by some five criteria that have no universal application. What is considered hate speech by government might just be an early warning signal for society to arrest a deteriorating situation. A holistic look at the sociology of hate speech will put Nigeria in a better position to counter it. More education and awareness on how to recognize hate speech and report conflict-sensitively on it is what the media need.

Source: The Guardian August 24, 2020 03:45 UTC