Presidency trains over 100 Northern influencers to counter fake news

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The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Mr Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has trained over 100 social media influencers from across Northern Nigeria on the effective use of social media.

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Speaking during the training on Sunday in Kano, Abdulaziz said the workshop was organised to equip influencers with the skills to counter disinformation and misinformation.

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He added that the training would also keep participants abreast of the achievements of the present administration so they could help enlighten Nigerians.

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“The workshop will equip them with skills on how to counter disinformation and misinformation.

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“We see a lot of social media videos, AI-generated pictures, and clips designed to create disaffection or misinform the public.

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“These skills will help them to use social media more effectively for information dissemination,” he added.

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Abdulaziz said the workshop would also educate influencers on the giant strides of the Tinubu administration and on issues that promote national unity.

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“These are the areas of focus. That is why we felt it’s important to encourage them and urge them to continue doing what they believe in, because that is democracy.

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“Everybody has the right to express his/her opinion on issues and to participate in political or non-political organisations.

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“But we see a lot of recklessness in the use of social media. People need to know what the government is doing,” he added.

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Earlier in his presentation, Development Scholar, Dr Musa Abdullahi-Sufi said the training was aimed at changing the negative narrative about Nigeria.

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He urged social media influencers to focus on development stories and achievements recorded in the country rather than negative content.

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Abdullahi-Sufi said the training also covered ethical use of social media, fact-checking, and responsible digital engagement.

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