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TopTheoretical Discussion
This paper hinges on two significant discussions based on dependency model and the grievance model.
First, the discourse of dependency which is interconnected with globalization is essential in exploring social media as a tool for terrorist activities in Nigeria, given that it is a sub-concept of the political economy theory or the theory of economic imperialism which are sacrosanct issues that aids and affects terrorism in Nigeria.
The dependency theory connects to neo-Marxist theory as an economic radical theory. The crucial progenitors of the theory are: Samir Amin (1973), Andre Gunder Frank (1969), Daniel A. Offiong (1980), Raul Prebisch (1950), Paul Baran (1967), Dos Santos (1970), and Scott Arighi (1992). According to Fukuyama, (1992, p.100): “This theory has been the most recent attempt to keep Marxism alive in the underdeveloped world.” This theory depicts that the world is alienated amongst the wealthy and the poor countries and operating in such a way that the less-developed countries are financially and administratively dependent on economically developed countries (Olaniyi, 2001, p. 16). The manipulation of less developed countries are propagated by colonialism and by their disadvantaged position in the world economy, which situates them as being connected to discounted principal merchandises such as agronomic produces and raw supplies (Odozibodo, 2014, p. 18).
Conversely, technologically advanced countries produces extortionate and highly-inflated imports for trade to the less industrialized countries such as Nigeria. This development further enriches the states that are at the top of the world’s financial table, whilst they exploit the less advanced countries on the marginal side of the world-system (Olney, 2001, p. 10). Implementing the procedures and practices of international financial and economic matters to best suit the economically advanced nation-states, thereby retaining the dependency pattern of the less-developed countries (Nwachukwu, et al, 2015, p. 276).
Okereke and Ekpe (2002) eulogized the dependency theory and agreed that the theory marks a vociferous exit from the other existing theories of colonialism, thereby giving an acumen on how to untangle various corollaries by which states in the periphery level are subjugated by those at the center level through dependency. Generally, the application of this theory lies in the strength of its practicality. For example, this theory delineates the connexion between the center and the periphery levels of the world system and has the propensity for hypothesis testing and pragmatic generalizations (Odozibodo, 2014, p. 19). It therefore suffices to assert that Nigeria is a disadvantaged country under the influence of globalisation. Nigeria is the sixth largest oil exporter with a daily yield of about two million barrels, per foreign exchange. Nigeria is vastly reliant on the trade of crude oil to the measure of over ninety per cent (90%) of our nationwide revenue (Majekodunmi and Adejumon, 2012, p. 201). Consequently, it goes without saying that globalization has generated the dependency of the Nigerian economy, since its basic export is convolutedly intertwined around raw materials (Majekodunmi and Adejumon, 2012, p. 201).