Google has been urged by the Federal Government of Nigeria to maintain the integrity of cyberspace. Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, made the plea while speaking on Thursday with a Google West Africa team that was headed by Mr. Olumide Balogun, the organization’s director.
Finding a balance between cyberspace’s negative and beneficial features is crucial, the minister emphasised. He said that although the government has no interest in suppressing the press or restricting people’s right to free speech, information that turns dangerous might cause uncertainty and split the nation.
Idris went on to say that Google has a huge obligation to make sure that Nigerians do not turn the freedom individuals enjoy online into a haven for anarchy. He asked Google to carefully strike this critical balance.
Balogun responded by highlighting Google’s efforts to train over 3,500 journalists to use various tools for news verification, including digital tools to manage misinformation, over the course of the last three years. Additionally, he cited Google’s sponsorship for “full fact,” an AI tool that helps with fact-checking, and its support for news organisations through the “Google Innovation Challenge.”
The Google team promised to assist the ministry by providing staff training on internet skills as the discussion came to a close.