The federal government has urged content creators and social media influencers to limit negative rhetorics about Nigeria and prioritise Nigeria’s interests.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in Abuja on Friday at an event to celebrate the National Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024.
The event was organised by the ministry, in collaboration with the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Open University of Nigeria.
“If we want Nigeria to grow, we cannot emphasise always on the negatives.
“While It is important that we criticise and hold government and other leaders to account because that is the role of the media, but it is also critical that in reporting, we prioritise national interest.
“We cannot expect the country to grow and having people to come and invest, 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 also condemned the proliferation of fake news on social media, warning that, if not curbed, it posed an existential threat to the unity, peace, and development of the country.
