Nigeria: Fake News Fueling Insecurity, Says Information Minister

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Vanguard report from Umuahia, said Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, warned on Thursday that fake news, misinformation and hate speech are being used by criminal actors to worsen insecurity and damage national unity. He made the remarks at the South-East Regional Security Summit in Abia State, convened by Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa with the South-East Governors’ Forum.

According to the report, the meeting brought together regional governors, senior military personnel, legislators, traditional and religious leaders, community representatives, civil society groups and security agencies. Idris argued that security must involve government, citizens, local communities, traditional institutions and the media, rather than being left only to security forces. He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was pursuing a broad security approach combining military action, intelligence-led policing, judicial reforms, development spending and partnerships.

The minister linked security to social and economic conditions, saying communities with better infrastructure, schooling, jobs and opportunity are less exposed to crime and extremism. Vanguard reported that he cited investments in roads, power and digital infrastructure in the South-East, as well as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, as part of the government’s wider effort to reduce vulnerability among young people.

Idris also said information warfare has become part of modern security challenges, with social media capable of spreading panic and division when abused. He said the Information Ministry and UNESCO had set up a Media and Information Literacy Institute to help Nigerians, especially youth, identify false information and online manipulation. He also backed state police in ongoing constitutional reform discussions, saying more localized security structures could improve responsiveness.