Nigeria’s information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has insisted that the Federal Government needs to move towards regulating use of social media in Nigeria in order to curb its “destructive” power.
Mohammed, a former spokesman of the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed the sinister plan while speaking at the closing event of the 2016 Social Media Week in Lagos, The Herald reports.
“Social media itself must understand that power without control is destructive. I think the social media needs to set up code of conduct.
“The power of social media is something that cannot be ignored but unfortunately today it has become a big destructive. Families, marriages have been destroyed just for the fun of it.
“Therefore, I advise the social media that for them to be credible you must be self regulated, but this government will not pass law to regulate you,” Mohammed said.
The minister also said that the Federal Government was prepared to diversify the economy through the creative industry and culture and tourism sector. He sighted the provision of infrastructure as critical to the promotion of culture and tourism in the country.
“You cannot promote culture and tourism without fixing infrastructure,” the minister stressed.
Nigerians have condemned attempts by the Buhari government to clamp down on free speech by regulating or censoring social media or the press. Recently, a bill seeking to clampdown on social media was proposed at the Nigerian Senate leading to an outcry by citizens. Last week, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki said that the bill was “dead on arrival”.
