The Kaduna government has expressed readiness to partner with civil society organisations (CSOs) and development partners to curb the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
The government identified the aforementioned factors as the major drivers of conflict and social tension in the state.
The commissioner for information, Ahmed Maiyaki, spoke at an Executive Peace Roundtable organised on Saturday in Kaduna, under the ‘Delimi PROSPER Project.’
The project is being implemented by Search for Resilience and Development with support from the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) Programme of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
Mr Maiyaki, who welcomed initiatives that engaged young people in peacebuilding, stressed the need for stronger collaboration with key government institutions, particularly the Ministry of Education.
He said such collaboration would ensure that interventions achieved their intended objectives without inadvertently creating new tensions.
The commissioner noted that media outputs such as documentaries, podcasts, and digital storytelling produced by youth participants must be carefully guided “to ensure that language, framing, and narratives do not trigger conflict or reinforce divisions.”
According to him, communication strategies must reflect the unique social dynamics of Kaduna.
Mr Maiyaki warned that the careless use of language and the spread of unverified information, especially on social media, could quickly escalate tensions and, in extreme cases, lead to violence.
He recalled past instances where hate speech and propaganda circulated through media platforms and contributed to deadly conflicts.
The commissioner also cited an instance in which a social media post advised travellers to avoid Kaduna due to an alleged crisis that later proved to be false.
Mr Maiyaki further observed that many people, including some media practitioners, failed to clearly distinguish between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, despite their varying implications.
He called for stronger collaboration among the government, the media, and CSOs to tackle the growing challenge.
According to him, efforts to counter fake news and hate speech must involve all age groups.
Mr Maiyaki reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to working with partners such as the SPRING Programme to promote responsible communication, counter harmful narratives, and strengthen sustainable peace in Kaduna.
(NAN)
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