Nigerians stand out as one of the most active social media user bases globally, boasting over 27 million participants. The year 2020 proved to be particularly dynamic, with Nigeria's social media landscape dominated by various unified campaigns, controversial debates, and engaging challenges across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, often leading to lively "drags" and banters. This article delves into the top 10 social media trends that defined Nigeria's digital space in 2020.

1. #EndSARS: Leading the trends was the powerful and widespread #EndSARS campaign, a movement against police brutality in Nigeria. Reignited in October, just days after Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations, this movement reflected the deep-seated frustration among tech-savvy Nigerian youth who had long endured harassment, intimidation, and extortion by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The campaign quickly transcended national borders, spurring protests in numerous countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and France. A broad coalition of celebrities, tech leaders, human rights activists, lawyers, and doctors participated. Fueled by social media, the #EndSARS hashtag trended globally at No. 1, accumulating approximately 5 million tweets within three days and sustained through various digital strategies. Key figures driving the protests included Douglas Jack (Runtown), Rinu Oduala, Debo Adebayo (Mr Macaroni), Folarin Falana (Falz), the Feminist Coalition, Anonymous, Flutterwave, and Arise TV. The movement successfully led to the disbandment of the rogue police unit, SARS, though its momentum significantly diminished following the tragic events of the #LekkiMassacre.

2. #COVID-19: The year 2020 will forever be marked by the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Even before Nigeria confirmed its first COVID-19 case on February 27, social media users were actively discussing the viral disease, which ultimately claimed over 1.7 million lives worldwide. The pandemic profoundly disrupted business, social activities, and worship across Nigeria, ensuring #COVID-19 remained a consistently trending topic. Lockdowns were imposed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and Ogun states, accompanied by the introduction of public health measures such as hand washing/sanitisation, social distancing, isolation, and mask-wearing to control the virus's spread. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) saw its Twitter handle gain up to a million followers, providing real-time updates on infections and lockdown regulations. Zoom also emerged as a critical platform for individuals and businesses to maintain connectivity during this period.

3. #BBNaija: Nigeria's largest Reality TV show, Big Brother Naija, launched its fifth season, dubbed the "Lockdown" edition, in 2020. Throughout its duration, a #BBNaija hashtag almost invariably featured on Twitter's trend list, often accompanied by tweets offering comic relief. Becoming July's most searched topic, BBNaija amassed over 900 million votes across all platforms by its conclusion in September. The season was ultimately won by Olamilekan Agbeleshe, popularly known as Laycon, an early favourite. Tech companies like OPPO and Flutterwave also played significant roles in the BBNaija Lockdown season.

4. #Indaboski:Pastor Chukwuemeka Odumeje of the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry became an internet sensation, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown. His memorable declarations, such as "I am not a man of preacher of love. I am a war. I am a fight. I am Indaboski Bahose," coupled with amusing video clips, widely circulated across social media, earning him the moniker "Liquid Metal."

5. #BlackLivesMatter: The global #BlackLivesMatter movement gained renewed impetus in May following the brutal murder of George Floyd, an African American, by a white Minneapolis policeman. Floyd’s death, which occurred after his arrest for allegedly using a fake $20 bill, sparked outrage worldwide. Nigerians actively participated in the global #BlackLivesMatter campaign through social media activism and physical protests, including one notably held at the US Embassy in Abuja, demonstrating solidarity in the fight against racial profiling and inequality faced by black people globally.

6. #DontLeaveMe: In June, Nigerian comedian Josh Alfred, known as "Josh2Funny," initiated the #DontLeaveMe challenge, which rapidly became a social media phenomenon. This wordplay-based challenge saw participants, including those beyond Nigeria’s borders, create viral content, particularly popular on platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

7. #DontRushChallenge: May 2020 also saw widespread participation from Nigerians in the #DontRushChallenge. This challenge involved groups of friends creating "glow up" videos, seamlessly transitioning between different looks, often set to the song "Don’t Rush" by Young T & Bugsey featuring Headie One. Originating on TikTok, the challenge quickly spread to Twitter as more people joined in.

8. #SayNoToRape: The #SayNoToRape campaign emerged as a critical social media trend, primarily triggered by two harrowing incidents: the inhumane rape-murder of 22-year-old UNIBEN student Vera Omozua in a church, and subsequent rape allegations leveled against male celebrities such as Peruzzi and DBanj. The movement further gained traction with sexual harassment accusations against Tizeti CEO Kendall Ananyi by tech entrepreneur Kelechi Udoagwu, marking one of the major scandals within the Nigerian tech space in 2020.

9. #Bitcoin: Demonstrating a massive interest in cryptocurrency, Nigeria established itself as Bitcoin’s second-largest market on the P2P exchange Paxful. The #Bitcoin hashtag frequently appeared on Twitter’s trend list, with Nigerians actively discussing topics ranging from the Twitter Bitcoin hack and price trajectories to regulatory developments. In 2020, Nigeria led Africa in P2P Bitcoin trading, recording monthly volumes of up to $25.8 million, significantly surpassing South Africa ($8.2 million) and Kenya ($7.7 million).

10. Burna Boy: Nigerian music artist Damini Ogulu, famously known as Burna Boy, consistently trended across social media platforms for various reasons throughout 2020. His Grammy-nominated album "Twice As Tall" was not only Spotify's most-streamed Nigerian album but was also recognized by The New York Times as one of the "best albums of 2020," ranking at #7. Burna Boy garnered both immense adulation and "drags" on social media, stemming from events like his threats to quit Twitter and alleged cheating on his girlfriend, Steflon Don.