Nigerian government moves to regulate use of social media

The federal government is in a move to set up a council whose duty will be to regulate the use of social media in Nigeria.

The recommendation was made by the National Council on Information, NCI, which suggests, “setting up of a council to regulate the use of social media in Nigeria.”

The recommendation was part of a communiqué issued at the end of Extraordinary Meeting of NCI on Hate Speeches, Fake News and National Unity held in Jos, Plateau state.

The Council, presided over by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, recommended the use of stringent measures in checking conventional media and their programmes.

The Council noted that there was no way vetting and editing posts on Social media could be possible since it has no address.



The Council also suggested that information managers at the state level should open a website that would immediately counter report of any misinformation posted on social media.

It further recommended the killing of whatever is assumed or presumed to be hate speeches or fake news or misinformation by the information managers in various states on social media.

NCI said social media might take over the 2019 elections because Nigerians have come to rely on whatever they find on social media than on conventional media.