Nigeria is monitoring Meta Platforms Facebook and different platforms to make sure they adjust to calls for to curtail hate speech on their websites, because it steps up its marketing campaign for accountable use of social media, Information Minister Lai Mohammed mentioned on Tuesday.

Mohammed’s feedback got here after assembly with Facebook’s staff in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. He mentioned Facebook had performed nothing to curtail the actions of separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on their platform regardless of a number of complaints.

Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s chief, is standing trial on fees that embody terrorism and broadcasting falsehoods. A decide will determine on Wednesday on whether or not Kanu ought to be granted bail.

Mohammed mentioned the separatist group has been labeled as a terrorist organisation and that “Facebook has no justification for yielding its platform to the organisation to further its campaign of hate and destabilisation of the country”.

Nigeria is going through secessionist agitation which has given rise to regional requires power-sharing between southern and northern Nigeria.

The nation can be coping with insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, a weak foreign money amid double-digit inflation and sluggish development.

Mohammed mentioned the Facebook assembly was known as to debate the rising use of the social media platform by separatists based mostly outdoors Nigeria to instigate violence and ethnic hatred within the nation in English and native language.

He mentioned the federal government has no intention of stopping Nigerians from utilizing social media however is advocating accountable use.

Nigeria lifted a six-months ban on Twitter in January after the social media firm eliminated a submit from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists. Telecoms corporations subsequently blocked entry to customers in Nigeria.

© Thomson Reuters 2022