23rd February, 2023
By Deji Abdulwahab
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged Nigerians to shun disinformation and hate speech which are capable of disrupting the electoral process.
NOA Director, Special Duties and State Operations, Mr David Akoji, gave the advice on Thursday at a Motorised Sticker Campaign against Disinformation and Hate Speech in Abuja.
“As we draw close to the election now, we are going on the streets on a Motorised Sticker Campaign to further raise awareness that the public should not accept everything they read on social media.
“They should stop, reflect and fact-check by asking questions to authenticate the truth about whatever they see on social media before sharing widely.
“This is important because since the advent of digital media, the speed at which information travels is unimaginable this day. When you drop a bad message, it goes viral within minutes,” Akoji was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, it becomes extremely important for us to sensitise the public that they should not accept what they see before they fact-check.
He urged the public to pause, verify, fact check and interrogate the intent of those who are putting out such messages.