Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has emphasized the need for the regulation of social media, considering it a societal menace.
Gbajabiamila stated this while representing the president at the book launch of Babatunde Fashola, the former Minister of Works, in Lagos on Thursday.
During the launch of Fashola’s book titled “Nigerian Public Discourse — The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole,” Gbajabiamila stressed the government’s responsibility to ensure that citizen engagement is based on shared agreement regarding truth and reality.
The Chief of Staff highlighted the potential dangers associated with unregulated social media, warning of its potential to sow discord and division, lamenting its adverse impact on the nation.
He expressed concerns about misinformation reaching millions globally, posing risks to both society and individuals, including threats to security.
The former lawmaker said the Tinubu administration has an obligation to engage in evidence-based discussions and data-reliant decision making.
Femi Gbajabiamila said, “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.
“Social media has become a societal menace and must be regulated.
“As 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 a great danger not just in the society but even unintended consequences to the individuals that are receiving information which may include security of life.”
The call for social media regulation persisted throughout the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, with the former Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, consistently advocating for regulatory measures in the Nigerian social media space.
