Trending lists promise insight into national priorities, yet often reveal more about algorithms than people. This article explores why trending topics don’t reflect what Nigerians care about, and what gets lost when speed, noise, and performance replace depth and lived reality.

Influencers vs. Institutions captures a growing reality in Nigeria: people now trust online creators more than the systems meant to guide and protect them. As public confidence in authority collapses, influencers have become unexpected validators of truth, taste, and justice — shaping how Nigerians think, act, and decide.