President Bola Tinubu has said social media must be regulated because it has become a societal menace.
The President, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said this at a book launch in Lagos State on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
President Tinubu also berated the menace of social media in disseminating fake and wrong information, which has almost torn the country apart and caused violence in some states.
The Nigerian leader stressed the need to regularize the framework of news dissemination on social media to avoid misinformation in the country.
He emphasized the importance of data in policy formulation for the growth of the country, stating that no developing country can succeed without adequate and well-informed data.
“The social media has become a societal menace and must be regulated. Many people do not understand that once the send button is hit, there is a potential to reach millions of people around the world, which is capable of causing great danger not just in society but even unintended consequences to the individuals who are receiving information, which may include security of life.
As citizens become more interested in governance, it is the government’s obligation to ensure that engagement with citizens springs with shared agreement on what the truth is, what is real and what is not,” he said.
Tinubu said his administration has an obligation to engage in evidence-based discussion and data-reliant decision-making, hence the need for accurate data that will be used for better policy formulation and execution.
