The Federal Government has solicited the support of the National Assembly in formulating a national policy on use of social media to control fake news and misinformation.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the request in Abuja while defending the 2021 budget proposal of the Information sector of his ministry.
Mr Mohammed, who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, said that fake news and misinformation are serious and major challenges confronting the nation.
The minister was responding to questions from the committee on how fake news and misinformation were used to aggravate the #EndSARS protest and what government can do to forestall re-occurrence.
Mr Mohammed noted that social media is the platform of choice for those who propagate fake news, adding that there is an urgent need for a national policy to curb excesses and misuse.
The minister also underscored the need for deployment of resources to acquire relevant technology that would enable the government to dominate and control the nation’s social media platforms.
“If you go to China, you cannot get Google, Facebook or Instagram but you can only use your email because they have made sure that it is regulated
