Lai Mohammed restates government’s plan to “regulate” social media

The minister insists social media has become a tool for dissemination of hate speech and fake news.

News Agency of Nigeria • October 31, 2020

Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed (Photo Credit: Twitter)

The federal government has again restated its plan to regulate the use of social media in Nigeria, saying there was need to and not shut it down.

Information and Culture minister Lai Mohammed reporters on Saturday in Lagos said “we will not fold our arms to allow purveyors of fake news and hate speech to use the social media to destabilise the country.”

The minister was in Lagos to assess the damage at the premises of the Nation newspaper and TV Continental which were vandalised during the #EndSARS protest.

Mr. Muhammed said despite his call regulation of social media, Muhammadu Buhari administration has high regards for freedom of the press.

“We did not at any time say that we will shut down the social media.

“However, we must regulate the social media in a manner that it does not become a purveyor of fake news and hate speech,” he said.

The minister had on October 8 solicited the support of the National Assembly in formulating a national policy on use of social media.

While defending the 2021 budget proposal of the Information sector of his ministry, Mr. Mohammed said fake news and misinformation are serious and major challenges confronting the nation.

(NAN)

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