22nd November, 2023
The Nigerian Government has urged the United States to support efforts at instituting best practices in the media space, particularly fact-checking mechanisms towards reducing the spate of misinformation and fake news.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris made the demand when he received the US Charge d’Affaires to Nigeria, Mr. David Greene on a courtesy visit in his office on Tuesday.
The Minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the fundamental principles of press freedom, stressing its pivotal role in fostering a vibrant democracy and transparency in governance.
“While we are for press freedom, we also want to call on the government of the United States to support efforts at instituting best practices in the media space, particularly fact-checking mechanisms towards reducing the spate of misinformation, fake news, and mal-information,” Idris said.
The Minister also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to democracy, saying it was important for the United States, as a key ally, to deepen support for the Tinubu administration and its efforts towards the reengineering of the Nigerian economy on the strength of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which focusses on food security, poverty eradication, growth, job creation, access to capital, social inclusion, rule of law, and the fight against corruption.
President Tinubu, according to Idris, has since hit the ground running in his quest to attract foreign investment through his physical presence at various economic fora, engagements with business leaders and key stakeholders, first in Paris, for the Summit on New Global Financing Pact, followed by the G20 Summit in India, and the recently concluded Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh.
“As you well know”, Idris informed the US envoy, “President Tinubu is in Berlin, Germany, to attend the G20 Compact with Africa Conference, in furtherance of his determination to retool the Nigerian economy through strategic partnership.”
Mr Greene, in his response, said the United States is fully behind Nigeria’s democracy and is supportive of its media growth through the offer of consistent training over the years, adding that Nigeria is a critical partner in regional security and economic development.