News
Social Media, Nigeria and Fight Against Fake News
By Joel Popoola
Nigeria’s largest social media platform is finally fighting fake news – but not in Nigeria
Whatsapp is Nigeria’s biggest social network and can be found on the phones of 85% of Nigerian social media users, but too often the platform is used to spread dangerous misinformation.
During the last Ebola outbreak, Whatsapp users were told to bathe in saltwater to protect themselves from the deadly disease. As a result, at least two people died.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak has been no different, with raw onion, olive oil, garlic and shaving all preposterously peddled as a “miracle cure” in a pandemic which has already claimed the lives of almost 1000 Nigerians.
This week, the app has finally taken action to stop the spread of fake news on its platform by introducing a magnifying glass icon next to messages forwarded at least five times.
By clicking on the icon users can quickly search the internet to see if the claims are true.
But not in Nigeria.
So far, only users in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States are able to use the fact-checking service.
If people weren’t already using the internet to verify claims like ”the disease which has killed over 700,000 people around the world can be stopped in its tracks by leaving an onion on your carpet” before forwarding them to their friends and family, I’m not sure how much an emoji is likely to change – but at least it’s something.
But it is incredible that over 20 million Nigerian users are being excluded from this service – not least given the comparatively low levels of digital literacy in our nation compared to countries where the fact-checking facility is being rolled out.
Ultimately, Nigeria needs a high profile national digital literacy campaign to help social media users to better critically consider the information they see online.
With so much political information being shared online – much of it just as unreliable as the medical advice above – our democracy depends upon it as much as our health and safety.
This campaign must come hand-in-hand with a renewed effort to build a digitally-skilled workforce for the twenty-first century – with the World Bank estimating that less than one percent of African children currently leave school with basic programming computer skills.
We also need to remove data charges from online educational resources.
Whatsapp is Nigeria’s biggest social network simply because users do not need to use much data to access it. The fact the government remains indifferent to calls to make this the case for learning resources, especially when so many youngsters need helping catching up with their schooling after the disruption of the coronavirus, is impossible to understand.
Until then, we need social media companies to take the necessary steps to protect their users from fake news and harmful half-truths. And at the Digital Democracy campaign, which I lead, we’re already doing our bit.
Our free Rate Your Leader app allows voters to get vital information direct from their elected representatives, person to person, straight from their smartphone.
If they think the information they get isn’t reliable or honest, they can rate the source of that information accordingly, directing their neighbours to information sources which are reliable and credible.
At the same time, politicians can get potentially life-saving messages straight to people in their communities, as well as building a more accurate picture of what matters most to the people they serve.
My inspiration for the app came after spending time in Britain, where local politicians are much easier to contact than we are used to in Nigeria. I even managed to meet the Speaker of the British Parliament as a Nigerian living 300 miles away from London!
A lot of the time in Nigeria, we have no idea who our local leaders are and how we are supposed to contact them – and many of them seem happy to keep it that way!
Apps like Rate Your Leader are designed to tackle this, and help move our nation towards a new era of democratic transparency and accountability.
The digital age has the potential to reconnect people and politics without politicians or the people they serve ever having to leave their sofas.
Sadly, when it comes to being signposted to trustworthy information online, it is hard to escape the sense that the major social networks are once again allowing Nigeria to fall behind.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and digital democracy campaigner and is the founder of the free Rate Your Leader app. You can reach Joel on Twitter @JOPopoola or on Joel@rateyourleader.com
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to stay the execution of the judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
The Commission also threw its weight behind a notice of appeal lodged by the political parties.
Addressing a three-member panel of the appellate court on Tuesday, the electoral body said it was shocked by the decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja to deliver the judgment despite an order that stopped him from doing so.
INEC, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Haliru Mohammed, decried that it was not notified that the judgment would be delivered, saying it only heard about the court’s decision through media reports.
“My Lords, we are aware of an order that this court made on May 22, which stopped the delivery of the judgment of the lower court, which was initially reserved for delivery on June 5.
“We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media.
“We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment.”
Likewise, counsel to the ADC, Mr. Shuaibu Aruwa, SAN, told the appellate court that Justice Lifu notified the party of the delivery of the judgment via WhatsApp.
Insisting that the decision of the high court was an invitation to anarchy, counsel to the ADC urged the appellate court to invoke its powers and sanction Justice Lifu for disrespecting the judicial hierarchy.
“Sincerely, my Lords, a lot has happened to the judiciary and this profession. What the trial judge did was dare this Court of Appeal by insisting that no one could arrest his judgment, even after his attention was drawn to the stay order from this court.
“The action of the trial judge calls for swift and extraordinary measures from this court. We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button.
“We are calling on this court to exercise disciplinary jurisdiction under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“We urge this court to take disciplinary steps by immediately suspending that judgment. This court has the power to protect its own integrity. We pray this court suspends the judgment immediately without further delay,” ADC’s lawyer submitted.
The other parties also drew the attention of the appellate court panel to the fact that on June 20, INEC would conduct by-elections across six states of the federation.
They contended that if the judgment were not stayed, it would create problems across the country, maintaining that the Court of Appeal has inherent powers to act in a supervisory capacity and not allow its orders to be disregarded by lower courts.
The appellate court is still hearing submissions from the other parties in the matter.
It will be recalled that aside from the ADC, the other parties the high court directed INEC to deregister are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to the court, the five political parties failed to meet the constitutional requirements to warrant their continued existence and participation in future elections.
It barred INEC from further according recognition to the parties, accepting nominations of candidates from the affected parties, or giving effect to their activities for the purpose of participating in the 2027 general elections.
Moreover, Justice Lifu ordered the defendants to stop parading themselves as registered political parties in the country.
He held that there was merit in a suit filed against them by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL).
The group, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, prayed the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.
It was the position of the plaintiff that the five political parties listed as defendants had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.
The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.
The Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA), a coalition of digital media publishers and journalists committed to promoting ethical journalism, media development, and impactful public advocacy across Nigeria, has announced a Media Practitioners’ Capacity Building Programme to commemorate the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The one-day conference is in collaboration with the International Society of Substance Use Prevention Professionals (ISSUP) Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.
The programme, themed: “Responsible Media, Drug-Free Nigeria: The Journalist’s Role in Prevention and Advocacy,” will hold on Thursday, 25th June, 2026, at 10:00 am, at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.
The initiative is designed to equip journalists, editors, publishers, bloggers, broadcasters, and digital media practitioners with the knowledge and practical tools needed to report accurately, ethically, and responsibly on drug abuse, substance use disorders, mental health, rehabilitation, and prevention strategies.
The programme aligns with the global objectives of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed annually on June 26, to strengthen action and cooperation toward achieving a world free from drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
According to the organisers, substance abuse remains one of the most pressing public health and social challenges confronting Nigeria, particularly among young people. The media, therefore, has a critical responsibility to inform, educate, shape public attitudes, challenge harmful narratives, and amplify evidence-based prevention efforts.
The capacity-building programme will feature presentations by experts in substance use prevention, mental health, public health advocacy, law enforcement, and journalism. Participants will engage in discussions on responsible reporting, fact-based storytelling, stigma reduction, prevention communication, and strategic advocacy aimed at supporting national and community-level responses to drug abuse.
NOMA Chairperson, Theresa Moses, stated that journalists occupy a unique position in influencing public perception and promoting positive behavioural change.
“The media is more than a channel for information; it is a powerful force for education, advocacy, and social transformation. Through responsible reporting and strategic storytelling, journalists can help prevent substance abuse, support recovery efforts, and contribute meaningfully to building safer and healthier communities,” she said.
She further noted that as gatekeepers of information and shapers of public discourse, media professionals have a responsibility to ensure that reporting on drug-related issues is accurate, balanced, evidence-based, and free from stigma, while highlighting prevention, treatment, and recovery pathways.
The event is expected to bring together journalists, media executives, government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners, civil society organisations, youth advocates, researchers, students of mass communication, and other stakeholders committed to advancing a drug-free Nigeria.
For partnership, sponsorship, participation, and media enquiries, interested organisations and individuals are encouraged to contact the organisers.
Media Contacts: Call: 08034499132, 08165322757 or 09034242439
Email:nomamedia25@gmail.com
News
‘He Died a Natural Death’ – Katsina Govt Announces Death of Gen Rabe Abubakar in Kidnappers’ Captivity
A Retired Major-General and former Director of Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, is dead.
According to the Katsina state government, Abubakar died in bandits’ captivity.
The retired major-general and his wife were abducted in May while travelling through Katsina.
On June 6, a video showing Abubakar and his wife appealing to the Katsina government for the release of detained bandits and livestock surfaced online.
A statement on Saturday by Nasiru Mu’azu, commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said Abubakar died from complications of diabetes and hypertension.
“It is with profound sadness that we confirm the General’s death while in bandits’ captivity,” the statement reads.
“Despite the relentless and concerted efforts of the State Government and various Security Agencies to secure his safe release, the situation ended in this tragedy.
“The deceased Retired General died a natural death from complications of diabetes and hypertension.
“His abduction and subsequent death are not only a loss to his family and Katsina State but a monumental loss to the entire country.
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Katsina State Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, PhD, CON, extends his deepest condolences to the family of the late General and the country at-large.
“The Governor has described this incident as a “dark moment” and a reminder of the urgent need for a collective and intensified front against the criminal elements threatening the peace of our communities.”
The Katsina government added that it remains committed to working with the federal government and security forces to ensure that those responsible for the heinous act are brought to justice.
“We assure the citizens of Katsina State that our resolve to eliminate banditry and ensure the safety of all residents remains unshaken,” the statement added.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family during this difficult time. May the soul of the departed Retired Major General Rabe Abdulakdir rest in eternal peace.”
