How the Iran-Israel War Fractured Nigeria’s Media and Deepened Its Divides
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When U.S. President Donald Trump declared a fragile ceasefire on Monday, June 23, via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, he framed the Iran-Israel conflict as a “12-day war". While that announcement redirected much of the African media's attention back to local concerns, the temporary ceasefire did little to erase the deeper impression the war had left on Nigeria's media and society.
As global attention focused on this intense Middle East confrontation, Nigerian media outlets along with their audiences became unusually engrossed. But the issue wasn’t just of foreign policy interest. It was what the war unearthed inside Nigeria: a complex, deeply polarised media environment reflecting the country’s entrenched religious and ethnic divisions.
So, why do Africans care about a Middle Eastern War?
Africa is no island. Like the rest of the world, it is enmeshed in the political and economic implications of global conflicts. In the case of the Iran-Israel war, the rising oil prices alone sent ripple effects through African economies, heavily dependent on imports and energy. But beyond econom...Read more
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