The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed says the federal government will not rest until social media platforms are regulated.
The minister, in an interview with NAN in Washington, on Wednesday, said the dangers of fake news on social media must be taken seriously.
Mohammed also explained that the online media report that he “sneaked out of Nigeria to meet with Twitter executives’’ in the US is fake.
The minister said he came to the US to meet with international media organizations and think tanks on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, and efforts made so far in tackling insurgency, banditry, and all forms of criminality.
The minister, who has so far engaged with the BBC, Bloomberg, and Politico during his visit to Washington DC, said he hasn’t met with Twitter.
On June 4, the federal government announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria.
Although the suspension came hours after a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari was deleted, the federal government said the decision was as a result of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
Recently, the federal government said it is in talks with the microblogging platform, adding that the suspension will be lifted soon.
