Center proffers solution to hate speech menace
Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has identified civic education as mechanism suitable for ha curbing the menace of hate speech among Nigerians. A senior programme officer, of the centre, Malam Isah Garba made the assertion at a press conference on the monthly analysis of monitoring and countering of hate speech. Garba said if people were fully sensitized […]
Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has identified civic education as mechanism suitable for ha curbing the menace of hate speech among Nigerians.
A senior programme officer, of the centre, Malam Isah Garba made the assertion at a press conference on the monthly analysis of monitoring and countering of hate speech.
Garba said if people were fully sensitized and understood their cultural and religious differences, they would not engage to utter extreme dislike speeches among themselves.
“In the process of our work we found that there was low understanding of the religious and cultural norms among the citizens which require massive sensitization and civic education. So we call on government to improve civic education as it will help prevent the menace of haten speech in the country.”
He also urged the government to establish other mechanisms that would address the menace in the country before it lead to violence and destabilize the stability and peace of the nation.
Garba added that in the month of August their in-depth report of online platforms showed that there were total of 816 hate speeches which have been categorized base on the level of its inflammatory nature. The report showed that18.4% of the speeches were categorized as extremely inflammatory, 77.3% with moderate inflammatory nature and
4.4% as barely inflammatory.
He therefore urged the general public to be tolerant and avoid hate speeches.
“We call on the public to understand that any message they receive on any platform of the social media, must be verified and be sure of its authenticity,” he said.