The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barrister Festus Keyamo, SAN, has highlighted the need to implement strategies to address the proliferation of fake news.
Speaking through his special adviser, Niyi Fatogun, at a media workshop organised by the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, Keyamo emphasised the importance of regulating and sanitising the social media landscape to combat this growing concern.
During the workshop themed 'Balancing Ethics and Patriotism: the Obligations of journalists to their Country,' the minister acknowledged the undeniable presence of social media in the country while stressing the necessity of enacting laws to govern its usage and prevent the dissemination of falsehoods.
Keyamo expressed his concern about the potential destructive impact of fake news on the nation's fabric. He asserted that eliminating fake social media accounts would be a crucial step towards curbing fake news, which poses a significant threat to the integrity of the country.
Furthermore, the minister called for the implementation of legislation that would criminalise the act of spreading fake news.
He argued that individuals responsible for propagating such harmful misinformation must be held accountable for their actions, as fake news has the potential to erode the very foundation of the nation.
Addressing the journalists in attendance, the convener of the workshop, John Mayak, who serves as the Country Director of the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, stressed the importance of self-regulation as the most effective means of combating fake news.
Mayak advocated for a balanced approach that combines government regulations with internal industry standards, citing examples from China and other developed countries.