Leading Nigerian media professionals, scholars, and regulators have raised fresh concerns about the rising tide of fake news, misinformation, and unethical reporting in the country’s digital space, warning that unchecked information disorder poses a growing threat to democracy, public trust, and national security.
The alarm was sounded on Tuesday at the Strategic Deliberations on Mitigating Fake News and Unethical Journalism, held at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Auditorium, Maitama, Abuja.
The event was organised by the Association of Bloggers and Journalists Against Fake News (ABJFN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter.
The forum brought together top media figures, including Dr. Bayo Atoyebi, former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC); Dr. Theophilus Abbah, former Managing Editor of Daily Trust (represented by journalist Mr. Daniel Adaji); and Alhaji Danjuma Abdullahi, veteran journalist and broadcaster with Press TV International.
Delivering the welcome address, the FCT Coordinator of ABJFN, Comrade Obiora Orji, described fake news as “a dangerous social virus that must be collectively contained.” He said the gathering was aimed at promoting professionalism and ethical conduct among bloggers and journalists, while providing a platform for collaboration with regulators and media stakeholders.
“Fake news has become an existential threat to our society — eroding trust, inflaming divisions, and undermining the very essence of journalism,” Orji warned.
“Professional journalism today faces serious challenges to balance, accuracy, fairness, and objectivity. We are witnessing an invasion of the media space by untrained and unregulated content creators who distort facts and manipulate emotions for personal or political gain,” he added.
He called for stronger partnerships between the association and institutions such as the NBC, NPC, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and National Human Rights Commission, noting that collective action was necessary to “rebuild the public’s confidence in the press and restore ethical sanity to the digital information environment.”
Expressing appreciation to the National President of ABJFN, Comrade James Ezema, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Victor Egharevba, Orji described the event as “passion in action” — an effort driven by conviction rather than convenience. “This maiden edition reflects our commitment to truth and our determination to speak out, no matter the challenges,” he said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr. Bayo Atoyebi lauded the organisers for taking a proactive step in addressing what he described as “a national crisis of credibility.” He, however, cautioned that establishing a professional association for bloggers and online journalists would not be without challenges.
Quoting journalism scholar Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, he said: “Those citizens who have the privilege of having a phone and post any information, whether true or false, on social media and call themselves journalists, are not journalists.”
Atoyebi stressed that the responsibilities of online content creators were even greater than those of traditional broadcasters because of the vast reach of digital platforms. “When you post online, what you are doing is broadcasting. And your coverage often surpasses that of a traditional radio or TV station,” he explained.
He advised the association to align with key regulatory bodies — the Nigerian Press Council, National Broadcasting Commission, and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) — to ensure professional guidance and credibility. “By working with these three institutions, your mission will be half accomplished,” Atoyebi said, urging bloggers to integrate journalism ethics into their practice.
Delivering his paper on behalf of Dr. Theophilus Abbah, Mr. Daniel Adaji spoke on the topic “Information Literacy as Antidote to Fake News”, which examined the nature, causes, and effects of information disorder. Citing materials from First Draft, BBC, Africa Check, and UNESCO, Abbah explained that society was now grappling with what the United Nations terms an “infodemic” — a flood of false and misleading information spreading faster than truth.
He identified three main types of information disorder — misinformation (false information shared without intent to harm), disinformation (false information deliberately shared to cause harm), and malinformation (true information shared maliciously to damage reputations or interests). “Fake news thrives on emotion and bias,” Abbah said. “Creators of disinformation intentionally exploit people’s fears, prejudices, and beliefs to manipulate public opinion.”
Abbah outlined several forms of false content, including deepfakes, clickbait headlines, doctored images, propaganda, conspiracy theories, and imposter content, all of which contribute to public confusion and distrust in media. “When falsehood is repeated often enough, it begins to sound like truth,” he warned.
He argued that information literacy — the ability of citizens to critically assess and verify information — was the most effective long-term remedy. “Education, not censorship, is the ultimate antidote to fake news. Citizens must be taught to question, verify, and think critically before they share information,” he concluded.
In his own presentation titled “Ethics of Reporting in the Digital Age: Can Journalists and Bloggers Balance Free Speech with Responsibility?”, Alhaji Danjuma Abdullahi highlighted the enduring principles of ethical journalism — accuracy, objectivity, and confidentiality of sources — as the backbone of credible reporting.
Quoting Joseph Pulitzer, he said, “Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they remember it, and above all accurately so they will be guided by its light.” Abdullahi argued that the digital revolution, while democratising information, has also blurred professional boundaries, allowing misinformation to spread unchecked.
He acknowledged the constitutional guarantee of free speech under Section 39 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution but noted that it is not absolute. “No responsible government will permit the dissemination of false or harmful content capable of threatening national security, public order, or morality,” he said. He emphasised that journalists and bloggers must practice self-restraint, adding that “there must first be a peaceful nation before anyone can fully enjoy the right to free expression.”
Abdullahi referenced the Cybercrimes Act 2025, which provides legal mechanisms to combat cyberstalking, identity theft, and online harassment.
He cautioned, however, that the law must be implemented fairly to protect both citizens’ rights and national security. “Freedom without responsibility is recklessness,” he said. “Be cautious and professional, because once you publish falsehood, it cannot be withdrawn.”
At the close of the deliberations, participants agreed that combating fake news requires more than regulation — it demands ethical reorientation, collaboration, and education.
In his vote of thanks, the National President of ABJFN, Comrade James Ezema, expressed gratitude to the event chairman, resource persons, and all attendees for their dedication and insights. He described the meeting as a milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing effort to restore the integrity of journalism in the digital age.
Ezema announced that the Association would soon convene a National Stakeholders’ Summit on the National Bloggers’ Code of Ethics and Standards, modelled after the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the Journalists’ Code of Ethics, as part of a broader campaign to professionalise the blogging sector and curb misinformation.
In a chat with journalists, he said, "This summit will be a defining step toward institutionalising standards for digital content creators,” Ezema revealed. “Our goal is to promote responsible freedom — ensuring that the right to publish is matched by the duty to be truthful.”
The Abuja deliberation ended with renewed optimism that Nigeria’s media community, working hand-in-hand with regulators and the public, can overcome the scourge of fake news and restore the culture of accuracy, fairness, and accountability that defines credible journalism.
As one participant aptly summarised: “The war against fake news is not a war on freedom — it is a war for truth.”
0 Comments