Propaganda Fuels Nigerian Support for Burkina Faso’s Junta Leader Traore

In a modest auto body shop in Lagos, 39-year-old Kehinde Sanni spends his days fixing dented cars — and praising a man he has never met from a country he has never visited: Captain Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s military ruler.

“Nigeria needs someone like Ibrahim Traore,” Sanni says, echoing the sentiments spreading across Nigerian social media. The growing admiration stems largely from a wave of viral content — often misleading or outright false — portraying Traore as a fearless reformer who defies Western influence and is revitalising his country.

Traore seized power in a 2022 coup, joining a wave of military takeovers in West Africa. He now leads Burkina Faso with the backing of fellow coup-born regimes in Mali and Niger. Together, the three nations have formed the Alliance of Sahel States and are strengthening ties with Russia, distancing themselves from France.

While critics accuse Traore’s junta of stifling dissent and silencing journalists, many Nigerians view him as a symbol of bold leadership, thanks to online content painting him as a savior figure. Even celebrities have joined the praise.

“Ibrahim Traore is all the proof Nigerians need to know that a country takes the shape of its leadership,” said actress and politician Hilda Dokubo on social media platform X.

But experts warn the enthusiasm is fueled by foreign disinformation campaigns. “It normalises military intervention and opens the door to ideological interference,” said Malik Samuel, a senior researcher with Good Governance Africa.

AFP investigations have debunked several viral claims, including a widely shared video of supposed low-cost housing under Traore’s rule — which was actually filmed in Algeria. Other false posts have circulated about cement price cuts and infrastructure projects in Burkina Faso.

According to analysts, the misinformation is part of a Russian-backed campaign using social media influencers to polish the image of Sahelian juntas and promote Moscow as a trustworthy alternative to Western partners.

“It’s the Russian playbook — shaping perception to sway loyalty,” said Ikemesit Effiong of SBM Intelligence.

Despite the glossy social media narrative, Burkina Faso remains engulfed in violence. It tops the 2025 Global Terrorism Index and has suffered tens of thousands of deaths from jihadist attacks since 2015. The regime routinely suppresses dissent and has declared some critics, like financial analyst Maixent Some, wanted.

Yet the portrayal of Traore as a youthful, anti-Western leader continues to resonate with Nigerians grappling with inflation, subsidy removals, and economic hardship under President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

In August 2024, at least 90 Nigerians were arrested during a protest where they waved Russian flags in support of junta-style governance — a sign of how far the influence has spread.

Analysts urge caution. While frustration with economic hardship is valid, they warn that embracing military regimes as solutions could endanger Nigeria’s democratic future.