Prioritise National Interests, Negative Rhetorics Can Limit Growth, Information Minister Tells Content Creators, Influencers

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has tasked content creators and social media influencers to prioritise the nation‘s interests by upholding the highest ethical standards in the expression and delivery of their crafts.

He also charged content providers to tone down negative rhetorics about Nigeria.

He made the remarks on Friday in Abuja during the National Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024 with the theme:  organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in collaboration with the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Open University of Nigeria.

He reiterated that Nigeria cannot grow if influencers emphasise always on the negatives.

“It is important that we criticise and hold government and other leaders to account because that is the role of the media and we cannot take that away. But it is also critical that in reporting, we prioritise national interest.

“I repeat, we cannot expect to grow and have people to come and invest in our country when all we push out all the time is negative. There are lots of positive information coming out of Nigeria and it is our duty to be patriotic when reporting so that Nigeria can reach its desired destination of prosperity that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu talks about,” he said.

The minister decried the proliferation of fake news on social media, warning that, if not curbed, it poses an existential threat to the unity, peace, and development of the country.

“As we embrace the digital revolution, we must acknowledge its transformative impact on how information is created, shared, and consumed. The rise of social media, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), online platforms and the new generation of digital content creators has democratised information flow

Olawale Ajimotokan

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