Nigeria’s information council makes case for social media regulation

Nigeria’s National Council on Information (NCI) has recommended the creation of a Council to regulate the use of social media in Nigeria in spite of global rejection of social media regulation attempts that are viewed at aimed at suppression of freedom of speech.

But according to the communique issued at the end of the council’s extraordinary meeting on Hate Speeches, Fake News and National Unity held in Jos, NCI recommended the use of stringent measures in checking conventional media and their programmes.

The Council which is headed by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said social media has no address as such vetting and editing posting in social media might be difficult. To combat fake news, the council recommended that information managers at the state level should launch a website to counter report of any misinformation posted on 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. According to PremiumTimes report, the Council feared that social media might take over the 2019 elections since Nigerians now rely more and believe the social media over the conventional media.