Federal Govt Reiterates Commitment To Halt Fake News

The minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated the commitment of the federal government to halt fake news, misinformation and hate speech, saying the 2022 Global Media and Information Literacy (GMIL) Week, which Nigeria is due to host, will give a boost to the ongoing campaign.

The minister who stated this in Abuja yesterday when he inaugurated the 25-member Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the event said the confab will be held in Abuja from October 24th to 31st.

“Hosting the 2022 GMIL will go a long way to address the growing trend of fake news, misinformation and hate speech, thus enhancing the campaign we launched in 2018 against these practices,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the decision to give Nigeria the hosting right is a testament to the fact that the country is a known strong advocate of Media and Information Literacy (MIL).

“In 2013, Nigeria successfully hosted the First Global Forum for Partnership on MIL, tagged Abuja 2013. This Forum gave birth to the UNESCO MIL Alliance as well as other initiatives, as part of our collective desire to achieve the Media and Information Literacy for all and by all. Nigeria’s contributions towards the birth and the growth of MIL, especially in the West African Sub-Region, played a large role in UNESCO’s decision to offer our country the right to host this event,’’ he stated.

The minister charged the LOC members, who are drawn from the public and private sectors, academia, media and civil society, among others, to use their wealth of experience to organize a successful event, saying nothing less is expected from such a high-calibre committee.