Nigeria's 2019 Social-Media Bill and the Challenges to Curbing Disinformation

• In Event: Graduate Student Research Lightning Round: Authoritarian Regimes, Contested Spaces

Abstract

Political propaganda though age-long now threatens the survival of modern-day government more than at any other time in human history. This is most dangerous when it emanates from the representatives of the people in a democracy as information that is the oxygen of the political system becomes toxic and harmful to the system. This is because disinformation and propaganda are antithetical to the noble goals of democratic government. Previous scholarships have rightly explored the consequences of disinformation on democratic government and possible ways to curb this menace. We contribute to this body of knowledge by adopting Deutsch’s communication theory to investigate how governments that live and thrive on disinformation can address this malaise within the citizenry. Relying on documentary data sources and content discussion approach to data analysis, we will argue that openness and transparency in government is a sin qua non to successful curbing of disinformation. Else, it becomes an uphill task for governments that thrives on falsehood to achieve as evidenced in the failed social media bill of 2019 in Nigeria which was rightly seen by Nigerians as an infraction on their freedom of speech and a subtle attempt to subdue the press.

Authors

• Inda Nurudeen Bello, Federal University Lokoja

• Joseph Olayinka Fashagba, Federal University Lokoja