Nigeria is monitoring Meta Platforms Fb and different platforms to make sure they adjust to calls for to curtail hate speech on their websites, because it steps up its marketing campaign for accountable use of social media, Info Minister Lai Mohammed stated on Tuesday.
Mohammed’s feedback got here after assembly with Facebook’s group in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. He stated Fb had accomplished nothing to curtail the actions of separatist group Indigenous Individuals of Biafra (IPOB) on their platform regardless of a number of complaints.
Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s chief, is standing trial on fees that embody terrorism and broadcasting falsehoods. A choose will determine on Wednesday on whether or not Kanu must be granted bail.
Mohammed stated the separatist group has been categorised as a terrorist organisation and that “Fb has no justification for yielding its platform to the organisation to additional its marketing campaign of hate and destabilisation of the nation”.
Nigeria is dealing with secessionist agitation which has given rise to regional requires power-sharing between southern and northern Nigeria.
The nation can be coping with insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, a weak foreign money amid double-digit inflation and gradual progress.
Mohammed stated the Fb assembly was known as to debate the growing use of the social media platform by separatists based mostly outdoors Nigeria to instigate violence and ethnic hatred within the nation in English and native language.
He stated the federal government has no intention of stopping Nigerians from utilizing social media however is advocating accountable use.
Nigeria lifted a six-months ban on Twitter in January after the social media firm eliminated a publish from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists. Telecoms corporations subsequently blocked entry to customers in Nigeria.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
