The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have warned that irresponsible use of social media and the spread of misinformation are worsening insecurity in the country.
They spoke yesterday during a nationwide roadshow organised by the NIPR in Abuja ahead of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) scheduled for November.
The NIPR FCT chapter commenced its sensitisation from the Zoological Garden, Area 1, Abuja, to encourage responsible communication and verification of information before sharing.
FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, said circulating unverified content could trigger panic and attacks on innocent citizens.
“Somebody would just wake up from somewhere, bring a video that is as old as 20 years, where maybe a crisis happened, and you just tag it as happening now in Kano State. Such irresponsible communication heats up the polity,” Odumosu said.
He said many Nigerians share content without confirming its authenticity, warning that such acts endanger public safety.
“People should get to know that it is not too good to send out information that can heat the polity, send out information that can make people start attacking themselves, send out information that can encourage banditry or kidnapping and all of that,” he said.
Odumosu said the theme of the WPRF, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” was timely.
Chairman of the National Planning Committee for WPRF Abuja 2026, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, said social media and artificial intelligence have created new threats to information integrity.
“People feel free to express themselves. And it’s a constitutional right for people to express themselves. But unfortunately, your rights stop where the right of the next person starts,” Haruna said.
He said the forum would deliberate on how information is produced and consumed in the age of AI.
A member of the planning committee, Inimfon Etuk, said the roadshow was to create awareness for the global forum which will bring together PR professionals and strategic communication experts.
Chairman, NIPR FCT Chapter, Stanley Ogadigo, said Nigeria secured the hosting right after a competitive bid and will be hosting the WPRF for the first time alongside the 37th annual conference of the African Public Relations Association, APRA.
He urged Nigerians and corporate organisations to support the forum as a national project.