By Milcah Tanimu

Parricipants at a workshop in Adamawa State has called on Nigerian authorities to implement regulations for social media to curb the spread of content that incites violence and extremism. The event, titled ‘Sensitization Workshop on Accountability Media in De-escalating Violent Extremism and Terrorism Financing through Sensitive Reporting in the Northeast,’ concluded with a communique emphasizing the need for proper regulation.

The organizers stressed that unchecked social media content poses significant dangers by promoting hate speech and irresponsible statements. They recommended rigorous scrutiny of content creation, news coverage, and reporting to avoid sensationalism and reduce conflict escalation. The communique specifically suggested comprehensive regulation of social media, with due consideration for human rights provisions, to mitigate the dissemination of violent-inciting media content.

Held in Yola, the workshop also explored sources of funding for terrorist activities. It was organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), with support from Giaba-ECOWAS. The event was attended by 40 participants from civil society, traditional institutions, community leadership, the media, and security agencies. Resource persons from academia discussed terrorism, its funding, its destructive impact, and appropriate media reporting.

Abubakar Jimoh, Advocacy and Communication Specialist with CISLAC, explained in a press interview that the workshop aimed to mobilize citizens and raise community consciousness against terrorism in the Northeast.