From Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has expressed its readiness to partner with civil society organisations and development partners to curb the spread of misinformation and hate speech, which it identified as key drivers of conflict and social tension in the state.
The State Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, stated this during an Executive Peace Roundtable organised under the Delimi PROSPER Project, implemented by Search for Resilience and Development with support from the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) Programme of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Maiyaki commended initiatives that engage young people in peacebuilding but stressed the need for stronger collaboration with key government institutions, particularly the Ministry of Education, to ensure such interventions achieve their intended objectives without inadvertently creating new tensions.
He noted that media outputs such as documentaries, podcasts and digital storytelling produced by youth participants must be carefully guided to ensure that language, framing and narratives do not trigger conflict or reinforce divisions.
According to him, communication strategies must reflect the unique social dynamics of Kaduna State.
The commissioner warned that the careless use of language and the spread of unverified information—especially on social media—can quickly escalate tensions and, in extreme cases, lead to violence. He recalled past instances where hate speech and propaganda circulated through media platforms contributed to deadly conflicts.
Maiyaki also shared an experience of encountering a social media post advising travellers to avoid Kaduna over an alleged crisis that was later proven false, noting that such misinformation spreads rapidly and often creates unnecessary panic.
He further observed that many people, including some media practitioners, fail to clearly distinguish between misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, despite their different implications.
The commissioner called for stronger collaboration among government, the media and civil society organisations to tackle the growing challenge, emphasising that efforts to counter fake news and hate speech must involve all age groups.
Maiyaki reaffirmed the Kaduna State Government’s commitment to working with partners such as the SPRING Programme to promote responsible communication, counter harmful narratives and strengthen sustainable peace in Kaduna State.
