It seems the government of Nigeria still nurses the plan to regulate social media under the guise of curbing the spread of misinformation.
Development Diaries reports that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, recently said that social media had become a societal menace and must be regulated.
This topic has continued to generate debate, which ought not to exist because regulating social media is limiting citizens’ right to freedom of expression.
Section 39 of the Nigerian constitution provides that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference.
Also, freedom of expression is recognised as a fundamental human right and enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other global pacts.
Millions of Nigerians now have access to the internet, and they use it to discuss a variety of topics on social media and other digital platforms.
However, it is understandable that as much as social media comes with gains, it also comes with potential challenges, which can be effectively addressed without limiting citizens’ rights to freedom of expression.
Social media in itself is not a problem, but the attitude of people toward using social media platforms calls for concern. Some people share information without proper verification, without authentication and tweet without thinking.
People need to be aware of the source of information they are consuming and this is where fact-checking comes in. Instead of regulating social media, the Nigerian government can focus on several alternative strategies to address concerns related to misinformation, hate speech, and other negative aspects of social media use.
The government can invest in educational programmes aimed at teaching citizens how to critically evaluate pieces of information they are exposed to online.
The provision of training and resources to help citizens develop digital skills is another necessary step. This can include workshops on online etiquette, privacy protection, and digital security measures.
Additionally, the Ministry of Information can collaborate with social media platforms to develop and enforce community guidelines that discourage hate speech, harassment, and the dissemination of false information.
The ministry can also allocate resources to support independent fact-checking organisations that can verify the accuracy of information circulating on social media while promoting the use of fact-checking tools and encouraging citizens to verify information before sharing it.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) can launch public awareness campaigns to promote respectful and constructive dialogue on social media platforms.
Furthermore, the government can foster collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, and technology experts to develop comprehensive strategies for addressing the challenges associated with social media use.
The government must respect freedom of expression and access to information while balancing them with the need to protect citizens from harm.
Development Diaries calls on the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, to take concrete measures to respond to misinformation and disinformation in the country. One such measure could be setting up an ‘information watchdog’ that monitors the spread of information on social media to counter false narratives with superior arguments.
Photo source: Femi Gbajabiamila
