Freedom of expression comes with huge responsibilities – Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government on Thursday said there were guidelines to be followed to ensure press freedom in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohamed said this at the West Africa Regional Forum during the presentation of the 2021/2022 Report on Global Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO in Abuja.

The Minister who claimed that the country had always championed the observance of rights to freedom of expression, explained that Nigerians must be circumspect in the use of information to avoid fake news and hate speeches.

He said, “As a country, Nigeria has always championed the observance of rights of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. However, we have always insisted that this right that we all enjoy, especially as Media practitioners comes with a huge responsibility.

“A responsibility that says we must be circumspect in the use of information at our disposal to avoid misinformation, fake news and hate speech which, if not well managed, could lead to serious disaffection and chaos in society.

“I make bold to state here that Nigeria has a vibrant, pluralistic and free press and this would not have been possible without an enabling environment”.