Nigeria ‘s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian broadcasters to uphold accuracy, fairness and professional ethics in their coverage of the 2027 general elections.
The Minister made the call in Bauchi, at the 3rd Annual National Conference of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB).
Idris, who was represented by the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, stressed that the extensive reach of broadcasting placed a significant responsibility on media professionals to ensure that information disseminated to the public was accurate, verified and properly contextualised.
According to him, responsible journalism should not be confused with favourable reporting, noting that broadcasters have a duty to scrutinise those in positions of authority.
“Responsible broadcasting, however, should never be interpreted as favourable broadcasting. A professional media must continue to question government, political parties, candidates and public institutions. It must investigate, scrutinise and hold those in positions of responsibility to account,” he said.
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He urged broadcasters to clearly distinguish between facts, allegations, opinions and unverified claims, particularly in an era where artificial intelligence and social media have made the creation and rapid spread of false or manipulated information easier.
According to the Minister, verification should remain a central part of newsroom practice and not be treated as an occasional requirement.
“Verification cannot be treated as an occasional newsroom procedure; it must remain at the heart of professional broadcasting,” he said.
Idris also cautioned broadcasters against the use or dissemination of hate speech, ethnic and religious provocation, as well as deliberately false information during the 2027 electoral period.
He, however, emphasised the importance of allowing legitimate political debate and criticism to flourish, stressing that political competition remains an essential component of democracy.
“Political competition is an essential part of democracy, but it must not be allowed to become a source of incitement, hate speech, ethnic or religious provocation, or the deliberate circulation of false information,” he said.
The Minister further called on broadcasters to strengthen their capacity in election reporting, fact-checking and verification, particularly as emerging technologies create new challenges for newsrooms.
The minister also highlighted Federal Government investments in Nigeria’s broadcasting industry, including the Digital Switch Over (DSO) platform and the ongoing modernisation of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON).
According to Idris, technological advancement will continue to reshape the broadcasting industry, but public confidence in the media will ultimately depend on the professionalism of those operating within it.
“The future of broadcasting will be shaped by technology, but its credibility will continue to depend on people,” he said.
He urged the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters and media organisations across the country to invest in continuous professional training, election reporting skills, verification mechanisms and measures capable of countering AI-generated misinformation.
The Minister added that the broadcasters had a critical role to play in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process by ensuring that citizens receive credible information with which to make informed decisions.
