Former minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, revealed how social media posed a threat to his 40-year marriage during an event in Lagos commemorating the 90th birthday of Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate. He emphasized the challenge of dealing with fake news, misinformation, and disinformation during his tenure as minister.
Lai recounted an incident in 2018 when his wife woke him at 3 am, expressing concerns about allegations circulating on social media. She cited a claim that he had $1.3 billion in a foreign account and requested to be a signatory to the account. Lai spent hours explaining the falsehood of the allegation, using budget figures to debunk the claim. Despite his efforts, his wife struggled to convince her friends of his innocence, leaving doubts lingering.
He emphasized that social media remains a breeding ground for fake news, promoting discord and undermining public trust. Lai advocated for robust regulatory frameworks to counter false information while upholding freedom of expression. He urged the media to take proactive measures to combat the spread of misinformation and safeguard their credibility.
