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Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has cautioned Nigerians against the negative ripple effect of fake news, saying the nation can not afford another civil war.
Mr Mohammed gave the caveat at a conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
The event which was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development,CDD, was themed “Democracy and Disinformation”.
He said that fake news played a role in the infamous civil war of 1967 and that Nigeria could not afford to, again, fall victim to the same circumstances that led that strife.
Fake new is the biggest threat to democracy and security in Nigeria.
“The government has been doing its best in educating the public on the dangers of fake news through various avenues.
“The ongoing infrastructure projects across the country like the agriculture empowerment programs, are part of government deliberate effort to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities.
“Every one of us must verify information sent to them for authenticity before circulation,” Mohammed said.
The Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Ishaq Modibo who was represented by the Director of Policy and Research in the commission, Mr Mujtaba Sada, said that regulations were necessary in order to protect citizens from the menace of fake news circulation.
He regretted that journalists have been dragged into blatantly taking sides in certain issues —NBC’s sanctions are not self-serving — but to regulate and ensure that media professionals are seen to work assiduously in the interest of Nigeria.
Modibo said fake news was even a threat to the media itself, hence the need to fight against it before it destroys all good things in its wake.
A senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development, Prof. Jubrin Ibrahim, said the purpose of the conference was to brainstorm and strategise on how to protect the future of Nigeria.
Ibrahim said that the conference also became imperative so as to protect the nation’s democracy against the threat of fake news.
He said that with the effects of social media, including Facebook, WhatsApp which has over 25 million Nigerian followers, and Twitter, made it imperative for the centre to ensure that fake news were tackled.
