Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has appealed to the Nigerian community in Egypt to disregard most of the negative news about Nigeria, especially on social media.

Mr Mohammed said those in the opposition are louder than supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari online and regularly drown out efforts to amplify his government’s successes.

“Unfortunately, the noise of the mischief-makers has drowned the laudable success of the administration,” Mr Mohammed said at a meeting with the Nigerian community in Cairo.

The meeting was organised by the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt, Nura Rimi.

According to Mr Mohammed, most of the news being received abroad about Nigeria is fake, the country is at peace and the people are living harmoniously.

Nonetheless, he admitted that Nigeria was battling with a myriad of challenges such as banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, among others.

“There is no country without its challenges, we are facing our own just like Egypt did some. years back and they are out of it now.

“In Nigeria, we have the challenge of banditry, Boko Haram, and militants but that does not mean that Nigeria is at war.

The minister stressed that the country has in the past six years been making tremendous developmental progress in infrastructure, agriculture, and aviation.

“I want to assure everyone of you here that whatever problem we have in Nigeria has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity,” he added.

Mr Mohammed also decried the $35,000 (about N19.2 million) deposit being requested by Egyptian Authority from foreigners including Nigerians to operate a business enterprise in that country.

The minister described the condition as unacceptable and promised to take the matter up with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, and other relevant bodies upon his return to Nigeria.

(NAN)