By Our Correspondent
Enugu, Sept. 24, 26 (TNZ) Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State urged Nigerian editors to strengthen fact-checking and verification to combat the growing threat of AI-driven disinformation.
TheNewsZenith reports that the two leaders spoke in separate goodwill messages to the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu on Thursday.
The conference is themed “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”
Its sub-theme is “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.”
More than 350 editors and other stakeholders are participating in the conference at The Dome, International Conference Centre, Enugu.
Shettima, who could not attend the conference because of other official engagements in the United States of America, however, addressed the conference virtually.
The VP said the media had become even more important as Nigeria approaches another election cycle.
He said citizens could only make meaningful choices at the polls when they had access to credible information.
The Vice-President warned that artificial intelligence could produce convincing falsehoods at unprecedented speed, making professional journalism more important.
“Editors remain a crucial gatekeeper between information and manipulation.
“The media should continue scrutinising government while also reporting areas where progress was being made,” TheNewsZenith quotes the VP saying.
He cited Nigeria’s economic growth as an example, saying the economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
Shettima, however, acknowledged that the ultimate test of economic reforms was their impact on the cost of living and the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
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The Vice-President said government and the media would not always agree, adding that such disagreements were part of a healthy democracy when based on facts and conducted responsibly.
Namadi, who also addressed the conference, described AI-based disinformation as a serious threat to modern democracy.
The Jigawa governor said artificial intelligence, image-editing software and other digital tools could now generate convincing text, images, audio and video.
He warned that such technologies could be used to manipulate public opinion, inflame tensions and undermine confidence in electoral outcomes.
Namadi urged editors to strengthen newsroom fact-checking, verification systems, media literacy and the ethical use of technology.
He also called for greater collaboration across media platforms to detect and debunk harmful disinformation before it spreads widely.
“For me, the challenge before editors should not be about ‘breaking news’ or who breaks the news first.
“Rather, it should be about ensuring responsible publishing, protecting the truth, and helping citizens understand it with clarity and confidence,” TheNewsZenith quotes the governor saying.
The governor also called on the Nigerian Guild of Editors to uphold professional integrity and hold erring members accountable.
He said the power of journalism could be used to inform, reconcile and promote development, but could also spread falsehood, deepen hatred and create divisions.
On regulation, Namadi said Nigeria already had laws addressing certain forms of harmful online communication.
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He referred to provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, as amended in 2024, and the Electoral Act 2022 concerning specified false statements during elections.
The 2024 amendment to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act addresses knowingly false messages transmitted through computer systems or networks where they are intended to cause a breakdown of law and order or pose a threat to life.
Namadi said enforcement should be fair, consistent and proportionate, while protecting legitimate expression and press freedom.
He also advocated collaboration between government and the media on information and digital-literacy programmes.
The governor cited Jigawa State’s ‘Gwamnati da Jama’a (Citizens’ Engagement) Programme’, through which the government presents scorecards.
In the process, the government also answers questions and receives public feedback.
He said the state was also planning a Digital Social Responsibility Programme to promote digital literacy, ethical communication and civic responsibility.
TheNewsZenith reports that discussions at the conference, which is the flagship annual gathering of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, focused on democracy, elections, journalism and AI-driven disinformation. (TNZ)
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