From "Hausawa Zalla" to Cyber-Ethnic Division: A Study of Social Media, Hate Speech, and the Fracturing of Hausa-Fulani Identity in Nigeria

This paper examines the emerging phenomenon of digital hate speech targeting the historically intertwined Hausa and Fulani ethnic identities in Nigeria, with particular focus on the "Hausawa Zalla" ("Pure Hausa") movement's online activities. The term "Hausawa Zalla" signifies a deliberate ideological position asserting a "pure" Hausa identity distinct from and opposed to Fulani influence, representing a rejection of the centuries-old Hausa-Fulani synthesis initiated by Kaltume Alumbe Jitami. Drawing on a qualitative netnographic analysis of publicly available content across Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and WhatsApp (comprising 250 group/page names, 350 hashtags, 300 posts on the nature of criticism, and 200 posts on rhetorical frames), this study analyses how digital platforms have become arenas for ethnic rhetoric that threatens one of Nigeria's most enduring ethnic alliances. The findings reveal that the movement employs coordinated digital strategies characterised by consistent branding, strategic hashtag usage, historical revisionism targeting figures like Shehu Usman Ɗanfodiyo, anti-Islamic rhetoric, and systematic suppression of dissent through locked profiles, pseudonyms, and deletion of opposing views. The paper argues that these digital campaigns represent a dangerous distortion of Nigerian history and a threat to national cohesion, while also acknowledging that the movement's grievances emerge from genuine challenges of political marginalisation, economic inequality, and security crises in Northern Nigeria. The study recommends a multi-stakeholder approach involving platform accountability, counter-narrative campaigns, educational interventions, digital literacy programmes, legal frameworks, and inter-ethnic dialogue initiatives to counter the spread of "cyber-ethnic" division.