Social Media Poses Threat, Needs Urgent Regulation – Gbajabiamila

In a resounding call for action, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, declared social media a menace that demands regulation during an event at Eko Hotels Lagos. Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gbajabiamila emphasized the dangers posed by unbridled social media use, addressing the audience at the public presentation of “Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole,” a book authored by former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Expressing concern over the impact of social media, Gbajabiamila questioned the accountability for spreading misinformation, stating, “Who do you hold responsible; the purveyor of the fake news, or the person who reads it?” He revealed past attempts as the Speaker of the House of Representatives to enact legislation regulating social media, which faced strong opposition from civil society. Gbajabiamila asserted, “The chickens have finally come home to roost. The social media is a menace, and it must be regulated.”

Reading a message from President Tinubu, Gbajabiamila underscored the importance of evidence-based discourse and data-reliant decision-making in the face of global challenges. He acknowledged the current landscape as a “post-truth world” where alternative facts, disseminated through social media and advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, create a distorted reality. The president’s message emphasized the need to return to a discourse based on shared truths for social cohesion and national identity.

Praising Babatunde Raji Fashola’s book for addressing this critical challenge, Gbajabiamila commended Fashola’s scholarly rigor and passionate patriotism in tackling a subject that has long been overlooked.