Governors of Nigeria’s northern states of Kano and Kaduna, together with a group of media experts, have called for stronger ethical standards in journalism and for regulation of artificial‑intelligence (AI) tools to curb misinformation ahead of the country’s 2027 general election.
The officials issued a joint statement urging media houses, online platforms and policymakers to adopt clear guidelines that would ensure accurate reporting and prevent the spread of false information that could influence voter decisions.
According to the statement, the rapid growth of AI‑generated content – including deep‑fakes and automated news bots – poses a new risk to the integrity of the electoral process, making it essential to establish oversight mechanisms that can identify and block misleading material.
The governors and experts also appealed for collaboration between government agencies, the press, and technology companies to develop a regulatory framework that balances freedom of expression with the need to protect the public from deceptive content.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is preparing for a tightly contested 2027 election, and officials say that safeguarding the flow of reliable information is critical to maintaining public confidence in the democratic process.
<small>Source: Punch Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
