EXERCISE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN THE LIGHT OF RECURRENT SPATE OF HATE SPEECH IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

Freedom of speech has remained one of the most cherished fundamental rights in every democratic society such as Nigeria. It serves as a cornerstone for political participation, political and economic accountability as well as social development in Nigeria growing political economy. In Nigeria, the right to freedom of expression and its exercise is constitutionally guaranteed under section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. The right accords citizens the liberty to hold and express their opinions and impart ideas without fear or interference from any person or authority. However, the exercise of this right has increasingly been challenged by the recurrent spate of hate speech across gender, age, sex, ethnic, religious, political, and social lines. Hate speech on the other hand by its nature, transcends legitimate expression and manifests as a deliberate communication that demeans, incites hostility, or promotes violence against particular sets of individuals, groups gender, sex, ethnic group, political class and social affiliations based on identifiable characteristics. Lately, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing rise in the use of inflammatory and hate rhetoric through conventional and digital media. This often exacerbates communal tensions, communal clashes, electoral violence, social unrest as well as threats to national unity. The negative consequences of hate speech are profound and alarming in Nigeria. It ranges from the erosion of social cohesion and democratic values to the incitement of violence and breakdown of law and order. Against this background, this research examined the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech in the light of the recurrent spate of the growing menace of hate speech in Nigeria. The paper argued that while freedom of expression must be protected in Nigeria, its exercise ought not undermine public order, public safety, public morality and the rights and dignity of others. Consequently, the paper underscored the urgent need to revisit and recalibrate the exercise of freedom of speech in Nigeria by advocating a balanced legal and policy framework that preserves democratic freedoms while effectively curbing the menace and harmful impact of hate speech in a pluralistic society such as Nigeria.