Idris, British High Commissioner Discuss Media Collaboration, Disinformation, Ahead Of ...

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships to address misinformation, disinformation, and emerging challenges in the information landscape ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

According to a statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, during a courtesy visit by the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Peter Vowles, who has been in the country for eight weeks. Discussions focused on strengthening UK-Nigeria relations, improving public communication and exploring areas of cooperation in tackling shared information challenges.

The Minister identified the growing threat of fake news and misinformation, particularly in the context of the forthcoming general elections, as a major concern requiring sustained collaboration between Nigeria and its international partners.

“I think the threat of fake news and misinformation, and how that can be an obstacle to a credible election, is one of the biggest challenges we have as Nigerians now,” he said.

Idris noted that the Federal Government was working with the United Kingdom and other partners to promote responsible information management and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. He welcomed the High Commissioner’s interest in Nigeria’s information environment and said Nigeria is ready to deepen cooperation.

“We are working hard in conjunction with them, as we do with other countries and partners, to make sure that we have a smooth electoral process,” the Minister stated.

He described the visit as an opportunity to sustain the longstanding relationship between the two countries and explore practical responses to challenges posed by artificial intelligence, fake news and the rapidly evolving digital media environment.

In his remarks, the British High Commissioner, Peter Vowles, said the visit was an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations and understand Nigeria’s information landscape, noting that both countries faced similar challenges, particularly misinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence.

“That kind of area is something we might be able to work more together on, shared challenges and how we have shared approaches to tackling these challenges,” he said.

The visit underscores Nigeria and the United Kingdom’s shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting responsible communication in an increasingly complex global information environment.

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