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Misinformation may worsen ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria, say commentators and researchers in the media, as concern grows over domestic security and the fragility of intercommunity relations.
The months and weeks leading up to the last election were characterized by a series of false statements about politicians and their parties, as part of deliberate attempts to shape the story before the election.
The most populous nation in Africa is often characterized as on the brink.
Security threats include the Islamists in Boko Haram in the north-east and violence between pastoralists and farmers in the central states of the country.
The latter is above all a battle for water and land, but the people involved have been polarized according to ethnic, sectarian and religious criteria, in a country of more than 250 ethnic groups and where identity is rarely far from area.
Simon Kolawole, a former editor of the Nigerian newspaper ThisDay and founder of the online news site The Cable, said that lies fabricated in the form of news "put the delicate ethno-religious fabric of Nigeria at greater risk" .
It also impeded the credibility of the media in the country, "he told AFP.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed said disinformation and hate speech "threaten the peace, unity, security and common life of Nigerians".
The fabrication of narratives opposing the country's predominantly Muslim north to predominantly Christian south was of particular concern – a traditional fault line often used by proponents of the restructuring of the current federal system and even its dissolution.
"When you use social media, you have the impression that Nigeria is at war and that Muslims are killing Christians," Mohammed said.
– Factories of "false news" –
Misinformation – deliberate or otherwise – is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria.
In November 1989, state broadcaster NTA announced the death of Nnamdi Azikwe, the first governor general of the country and president after independence, in 1960.
In the morning, most newspapers told the story, but "Zik," as it was called, was very much alive and would live another seven years.
Thirty years later, rumors were circulating that President Muhammadu Buhari had died during one of his long absences from Nigeria in 2017 for medical reasons and that he had been replaced by a Sudan look-alike. called Jubril.
It took almost two days for Azikwe to clarify his health and inform the world that he was still alive – and the false claim was relatively contained.
Buhari's supposed death, on the other hand, spread like wildfire on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, to such an extent that he had to respond to the demand at a conference of press.
"It's the real me," he told his supporters during a trip to Poland in December 2018.
Buhari, 76, even had to spend time refuting the statement, which is extraordinary, but the fact that it continues to circulate is a testament to the magnitude of the problem – and the task ahead of the media and the media. fact-checking organizations.
Fredrick Nwabufo, political badyst and editorialist, said that the fact that Nigeria's two main political parties run "media centers" to spread misinformation during the elections was a Blinds secret.
He acknowledged that the practice could degenerate into ethnic and religious tensions.
– Electoral impact? –
President Buhari congratulates Prime Minister Netanyahu on his electoral victory
The rumor of a look-alike can be attributed to supporters of Biafran, who want a separate state for the Igbo people who dominate southeast Nigeria.
Another claim that the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar was supported by the LGBT community was to discredit him in the religious and socially conservative North.
A recurring complaint against Buhari, who is also a northern Muslim, is that he wants to Islamize all of Nigeria and extend Sharia law across the country.
How far the "false news" has influenced the outcome of the election is so far inconclusive. Buhari was re-elected by nearly four million votes.
Sam Ejiwunmi, a PhD student at the University of Lagos looking for this opportunity, said misinformation affected rural areas more than urban centers.
"My fear is mainly related to the impact it has on the credibility of the media. The media are no longer perceived as the guardians of credible information, "he added.
"We should all be concerned that misinformation, especially during elections, can lead to an increase in hate speech and a change in the voting system.
"Although there is no data to my knowledge to support this badertion for the moment, it is an badumption that will be considered early enough."
President Buhari congratulates Prime Minister Netanyahu on his electoral victory
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