Dr Sunusi Muhammad Kani & Ezeodo Calista Chinwe
Abstract
The study investigated types, sources and perceived strategies to curb hate speech among undergraduate students in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Descriptive survey design was used in the study. The population of the study comprised of 345 fourth year undergraduate students of the Departments of Science Education, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil and University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The sample size was 190 students selected through occasional sampling technique. A questionnaire with Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.73 was used to gather data for the study. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test were used for data analysis. The results of the analysis revealed that religious, gender and political related hate speech are common among students within the two campuses. The findings also showed the sources of hate speech to include the internet, SUG political rallies, among others. The study equally revealed, among others, counselling students against the use of hate speech as the possible strategies for curbing hate speech among the students. It was recommended, among others, that the government should develop and implement a national hate speech policy in Nigerian universities to limit and counteract hate speech among university undergraduate students.