WhatsApp and Everyday Life in West Africa: Beyond Fake News

How is social media changing West Africa? This first-rate collection of essays focuses on the end-to-end encryption messaging software WhatsApp, taking on such disparate topics as its adoption by political parties in Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria; WhatsApp usage among elderly Nigerians; and the fashion industry’s use of the software for marketing. Contributors note that the software has become an integral part of electoral campaigning but does not yet appear to have resulted in significant changes in political messaging. Others observe that WhatsApp has proven popular because it is particularly cheap to use, and its end-to-end encryption means that it can provide a specific community with a ready tool for relatively private dialogue. A fascinating chapter by Naima Hafiz Abubakar discusses how WhatsApp has affected women voters in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. She finds that the software gives women the sense of belonging to a safe community, which allows them to share information and exchange political views. The chapter argues that WhatsApp enhances their sense of political empowerment but offers no data as to whether, for instance, its use has resulted in greater female participation in voting.