Platform Dynamics, Thematic Framing, and Audience Engagement Metrics of Social Media Wealth Creation Ritual Content in Southwest Nigeria

The rapid proliferation of mobile digital technologies has transformed social media into a
dominant socio-economic and cultural ecosystem, particularly among Nigerian youths.
While these platforms offer unprecedented access to legitimate entrepreneurial education
and digital commerce, they have simultaneously facilitated the normalisation and
commodification of ritual-based wealth creation practices. This study investigated the
dissemination, thematic framing, viewership, and followership patterns of social media
wealth creation ritual contents across Southwest Nigeria. Anchored on Social Cognitive
Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory, and Diffusion of Innovation Theory, the study
adopted a content analysis research design to examine forty purposively selected digital
pages and channels across Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Data were collected using the
Social Media Platform Content Analysis Coding Sheet (SMPCACS) and supplemented
with Google Analytics metrics for audience engagement. Findings reveal that Facebook
dominates the dissemination of ritual wealth content (55%), followed by YouTube (27.5%)
and TikTok (17.5%). Dominant thematic constructs include “Asiri” (secrets), “Aseje” (ritual
concoctions/potions), “Ose” (spiritual soaps), “Awenu” (spiritual manifestation), and
explicit references to “Money Rituals.” Viewership and followership patterns demonstrate
significant platform-specific variations, with TikTok recording the highest single-instance
engagement (43.4k) views for “Yahoo Cashout Soap”, while Facebook and YouTube
exhibit consistent, community-driven subscription metrics ranging from 1.0k to 3.0k. The
study concludes that social media platforms function not as passive repositories but as
active digital arenas where cultural beliefs, economic desperation, algorithmic
amplification, and performative spirituality intersect. The commercialisation of indigenous
spiritual practices into rapid-wealth commodities raises profound ethical, cultural, and
socio-economic concerns. Recommendations include the implementation of targeted
digital literacy initiatives, collaborative content moderation frameworks involving
government agencies and tech platforms, the promotion of culturally grounded alternative
narratives, and comprehensive youth economic empowerment programs. This research
contributes to contemporary discourse on digital religion, media ethics, and the
psychological economy of online ritual engagement in emerging digital landscape.