Fighting for freedom from foreign lands.

As millions of Nigerians marched in protest for good governance, millions more fought thousands of kilometers away from their homeland through their mobile phones.

A mother holds the photo of her son, shot by the police. Photo Credit: Tahiru Sherriff

Nigeria’s Independence Day was followed by massive youth protests against a brutal division of its police force: The Special Anti Robbery Squad. It began as an online campaign and one week after, notable international artists, musicians, footballers, and even Nigerian state governors had joined the protests. In eight days, it had become a global movement for change. A key contribution to this movement has been Nigerians living in the diaspora. This group has been at the forefront of the internet end of the protests — retweeting, sharing, debating, demanding, and funding the fight from foreign lands.

Nigeria’s diaspora community is alive and active politically every day, but they exert influence mostly through Social Media. Apps like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp have allowed members of this community to mobilize themselves without structures, without leadership, and without profit towards better governance in their homeland. Protest marches were held in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Belgium, and even on African soil in Egypt.

These protests reveal a deep divide between the youths and Nigeria’s political class. There is some irony to…