Nigerian Government Makes Hasty Moves to Regulate Use of Social Media

The National Council on Information (NCI)
has recommended the “setting up of a
Council to regulate the use of social media in
Nigeria”.

The recommendation is contained in a
communique issued at the end of
Extraordinary Meeting of NCI on Hate
Speeches, Fake News and National Unity
held on Friday in Jos.
In the communique made available to
journalists on Sunday, the Council
recommended the use of stringent
measures in checking conventional media
and their programmes.
The Council, presided over by the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed,
noted that Social media has no address as
such vetting and editing posting in social
media might be difficult.
The Council recommended that Information
managers at the state level should open a
website to counter report of any
misinformation posted by the social media
as quickly as the hate speeches,
misinformation and fake news are posted.
It recommended immediate killing of
whatever postings on social media assumed
or presumed to be hate speeches or fake
news or misinformation by the information
managers in various states.
The Council noted that social media might
take over the 2019 elections because
Nigerians had come to rely more and believe
the social media over the conventional
media.
It directed the Federal and State Ministries of
Information to use jingles to promote peace
and come up with cartoons on the TV and
Newspapers telling the dangers of fake
news and hate speeches.
“The collaboration must start with National
Orientation Agency and the state
governments,” the Council recommended.
The Council underscored the need to start
talking to those responsible for law and
enforcement of justice to address the issues
of citizens taking laws into their hands.
The body also emphasised that “the welfare
of the people is paramount, people well fed
will listen to their government”.
NAN reports that the extraordinary meeting
of the council was declared open by
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau,
represented by his Deputy Prof. Sonni
Tyoden.
Mr. Lalong observed that the combination of
hate speech, conducts, commentaries,
writing and displays that combined with the
engagement of Hate Media Platforms had in
global history proven their ability to incite
genocide.
He emphasised that any person or group of
persons using any media outlet to bait and
explore the innocence and gullibility of a
few people must be condemned and
sanctioned as criminal, by all people of
conscience
NAN also reports that the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in
a keynote address, expressed displeasure
over the hate spewed on radio stations
across the country which according to him
has become alarming.
The Minister said the careless incitement to
violence and the level of insensitivity to the
multi-religious, multi-ethnic nature of the
country must not be allowed to continue
because it is detrimental to the unity and
well-being of our country.
The National Council on Information is the
highest policy making body for information
articulation and delivery in the country.
Delegates to the Council included Heads of
Parastatal Agencies in the Federal Ministry of
Information and Commissioners for
Information in the 36 States.

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