The need to curb Fake news and its negative effect on integration and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria was brought to the fore at a Stakeholders meeting hosted by Research Team of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA). The project is funded by the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) under the aegis of the National Research Fund (NRF). Stakeholders were drawn from the FUTA students’ community and selected media houses in Ondo State namely FUTA Radio, Adaba FM, Radio Nigeria, Positive FM and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Speaking at the meeting held at the Institute of Technology-Enhanced Learning and Digital Humanities, FUTA, the Principal Investigator, Professor Titi Fola Adebayo said "The issue of national integration in Nigeria has always been hampered by the rise of fake news, the spread of misinformation, and the worsening of existing social, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity"
While giving insight on the objections of the research she said “This research aims to identify features that characterise fake news in Nigeria, establish the socio-cultural factors that promote the spread of fake news by Nigerians through new media platforms, and develop effective, innovative measures to address the factors in order to mitigate conflict and promote security"
Professor Adebayo also pointed out that investigation will involve "Content analysis of fake news in Nigerian Pidgin English as tool for developing the framework, collaborating with government agencies, media, civil society, and youth, social cultural groups, market women, farmers, artisans as stakeholders in combating fake news and Production of awareness campaigns, and educational materials on media literacy as strategies for reducing the spread and influence of fake news".
On her part, the Director, National Orientation Agency, (NOA) Ondo State, Mrs. Adefolalu Adelayo, said Nigerans have taken to sharing information without verification of its source or authenticity. She added that social media journalism is becoming a menace to the society and its misuse is capable of spreading false narrative that can heat up the polity.
While bemoaning the lack of patriotism inherent in the society today she called on stakeholders to jointly engage in public enlightenment programmes to ensure that people are aware of the negative effects of fake news on the national and economic development of the nation.
A retired Professor of English and Communication Studies, Professor Bayo Aborisade said maximum cooperation is required from stakeholders to put strategies in place to curb the menace of fake news in the society and to enlighten the populace of the danger’s fake news pose to social cohesion and national integration. He stressed the importance of the media in creating awareness of fake news, training people to identify fake news and the roles of AI in generating Fake news.
The Fake News Research Team comprises researchers from the Federal University of Technology Akure, the University of Ibadan and the University of Maiduguri.
