Northern governors, traditional rulers seek social media regulation

Etim Ekpimah

The Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF) and Traditional Rulers have called for the regulation of social media in Nigeria.

The stakeholders who expressed their displeasures over the social media roles in a communiqué released in Kaduna on Monday at the end of their meeting with traditional rulers and other political office holders, agreed that the new media would have to be regulated to curtail the dangers of spreading fake news.

Reading the communiqué, chairman of the Northern State Governors Forum and Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, said the meeting was aimed at addressing security challenges, particularly with regards to #EndSARS protests.

“The meeting took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news.

“Therefore, calls for major control mechanisms and censorship of social media practice in Nigeria,” parts of the communiqué read.

It was gathered that the meeting was attended by His Excellency, the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Honourable Deputy Speaker and other members of the National Assembly, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Information and Culture, the Inspector General of Police, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Chairmen of the Northern States Traditional Rulers Council led by His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, among others.