FIC Report (Nasarawa State) – Nasarawa State Government will hold an executive retreat for government functionaries and youths across the state to tackle the rising spate of fake news and disinformation in the public domain.
Governor Abdullahi Sule stated this when he hosted a delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) at the Government House, Lafia.
Governor Sule said the training supported by the NIPR and National Orientation Agency (NOA) will equip participants with the skills of understanding fake news, misinformation and disinformation for capacity development, responsible governance and value reorientation.
Sule emphasized that prioritizing civic engagement, discipline and responsibility through training is non-negotiable, commending the Institute for its efforts in the restoration of public trust and improving on governance integrity.
He said the orchestrated ploy on the said collapse Lafia flyover and underpass was aimed at bringing down his government, noting that people from across the world phoned him to sympathise with him over what had not happened.
According to him, the entertainment industry has a huge impact on the social reorientation and discipline of any society, urging stakeholders to contribute in stemming the tide of fake news that cripples the society.
While speaking on allegations of harbouring Benue assailants in Nasarawa, the governor called on the Benue people and government to sit down to address internal issues squarely, restating that no assailants are being harboured in the state.
On his part, Vice President of the NIPR, Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, who led the delegation, said the Institute was in the state to undertake an on-site assessment on the rumoured collapse of the Lafia flyover and underpass, describing it as a damaging fake news.
Dandaura maintained that the Institute was committed to national cohesion and reputational clarity, calling for inter-ministerial coordination and youth-focused capacity building on information literacy to curb the growing speed of disinformation in the society.
He said the MoU between the government and the Institute made it possible to enhance strategic communication for development, urging stakeholders to equip themselves with the skills to identify, verify and counter fake news.
In attendance at the meeting were veteran filmmaker, Francis Duru, ace broadcaster, Muhammad Kudu Abubakar, Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, State Chairman of NIPR, Joseph Attah, his Vice, Mukhtar Wakeel among others.
Signed
ARI, LIMAN AMINU.
HEAD OF CENTRE,
FIC, LAFIA.
