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 in the state.
Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the government identified the aforementioned factors as the major drivers of conflict and social tension in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, stated this 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.
Maiyaki welcomed initiatives that engaged young people in peace building, however, 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.
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, led to violence.
He recalled past instances where hate speech and propaganda circulated through media platforms, contributed to deadly conflicts.
The commissioner also cited an instance in which a social media post advised travellers to avoid Kaduna over an alleged crisis that was later confirmed to be false.
He said such misinformation spread rapidly and often created unnecessary panic.
Maiyaki further observed that many people, including some media practitioners, failed to clearly distinguish between misinformation, disinformation and misinformation, despite their varying implications.
He called for stronger collaboration among 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.
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.
