FG Parleys BBC on Curbing Fake News among Nigerian Youth

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has sought the support of the BBC World Service to tackle the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation and fake news among youth in Nigeria and the world over.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this appeal yesterday on a working visit to the British Broadcasting Corporation headquarters in London as part of a bridge-building and cooperation efforts between the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and foreign and local media houses.

He described misinformation and fake news as key challenges that hinder progress and erode trust between government and the people.

He called on the BBC to further strengthen mechanisms for addressing the aforementioned challenges by also working in concert with its foreign partners to combat these threats and ensure the media ecosystems remain credible and responsible.

The minister held the meeting with the BBC’s top management, headed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the BBC News and Director of the BBC World Service, Mr. Jonathan Munro.

He noted that fostering of understanding remained a key element that would fast track development.

”The media plays an indispensable role in shaping the right narratives, fostering understanding, and driving development. As such, it is incumbent on media houses with global reach to deepen their understanding of the socio-political, economic, and cultural characteristics of the societies they report on,” Idris said.

He also underscored the vital role the BBC plays as a longstanding narrator of the Nigerian political journey, stressing that it was important for the BBC to balance its reporting on Nigeria by highlighting the progress and successes of the country and adopting deliberate content that inspires hope for a brighter future

The minister posited: ”Nigeria has a flourishing youth population with uncommon zeal to seize positive opportunities even in the face of immense challenges, a situation that warrants more emphasis on positive outcomes in Nigeria”.

He praised the BBC for expanding its operational reach in Nigeria by creating more language options in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin, saying it had helped in the cascading of information and the employment and training of many more Nigerians.