The Federal Government has declared that Nigeria needs a new legal framework to regulate the use of social media.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said this at the public presentation of a book, titled: Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole, written by former Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola yesterday in Lagos.
President Tinubu urged the National Assembly to give the country a fresh regulatory framework on how best to use the social media.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the President said it was high time the federal lawmakers reviewed the existing regulations with a view to improving them for more effectiveness.
He recalled that the Ninth National Assembly made appreciable efforts to give the country a new legal framework but the opposition by many social critics twarted the initiative.
President Tinubu noted that with the turnout of events in the public space, the government could not afford to allow an era of misinformation through social media to thrive.
He said: “Who should be blamed for spreading fake reports through social media? Is it the purveyor of the fake story or the reader?
“While we need to engage in public discourse, we need to ensure that we base our discussions on facts and empirical data.
“Unfortunately, many uninformed people have been relying heavily on social media to engage the public. And in most cases, that information has been found to be false.
“Now that we have the 10th Assembly, both chambers (the Senate and the House of Representatives) will take up the challenge to give the country a new Bill.
“In our national lives, we are confronted with making policies that would ensure the future of our children and our country’s prospects.
“Hence, we, as leaders and policy makers, must begin to engage the people truthfully.”
