Hot SourceOlawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has faulted reports tagging Nigeria a genocide destination as a deliberate and malicious ploy orchestrated to incite panic, fracture national unity, damage international standing, and scare away the foreign investment urgently needed by the country. Idris said this yesterday in Maiduguri at the Progressive Governors’ Summit for APC States’ Commissioners for Information.
He reiterated that at a meeting when he received a delegation from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), led by its Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters.
Idris called on Nigerians to unite against efforts by foreign interests to undermine the country’s unity, saying a united front is required to protect the country’s image against false narratives and contrived misinformation.
The minister charged the commissioners to rise to the occasion and lead a coordinated national response to counter the narratives against Nigeria’s image globally.
He stated, “We are now confronting a deliberate and malicious campaign to falsely label Nigeria a ‘genocide destination.’ This is not mere misinformation; it is a coordinated disinformation operation.
“Our first strategic imperative, therefore, is to disarm and dislodge this corrosive narrative.”
Idris urged commissioners for information to act as the architects of public understanding and the first line of defence for the country’s integrity, stating that a united information front across the states, working in synergy with governors, community leaders, traditional rulers, and civil society groups would create a chorus of credible voices that collectively refuted the false narrative and affirm Nigeria’s shared identity.
He said, “This moment demands that we reinforce our strategic counter-voice, systematically deconstructing these dangerous falsehoods with data, expert testimony, and powerful narratives of community resilience and inter-ethnic cooperation.
“We must demystify naysayers and reassure the public by repurposing complex government initiatives into accessible proof points of our commitment to unity and security.
“Furthermore, we must forge a united information front, partnering with governors, community leaders, traditional rulers, and civil society to create a chorus of credible voices that collectively refute this false narrative and affirm our shared identity.”
The minister added that as the custodian of the truth, the commissioners must ensure that the story of Nigeria was defined not by the lies of detractors, but by the unwavering pursuit of unity, peace and progress.
He announced that the federal government would, in the coming days, unveil the National Values Charter, designed to infuse patriotism, protect the country and serve as the most potent counter-narrative to negative foreign mischaracterisation of Nigeria.
He enjoined the commissioners to make the charter the foundation of all state-level communication, using it to actively promote a narrative of shared identity that renders divisive labels meaningless.
