2027 Elections: Usoro Raises Alarm Over AI Deepfakes, Fake News, Gets FG Award
- The federal government gave Dr Brendan Innocent Usoro a corporate governance award at the Nigerian Press Council's national summit on misinformation in Abuja
- Usoro warned that AI-generated deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns pose a growing threat to Nigeria's democratic process ahead of 2027
- Ministers of Defence and Information both addressed the summit, calling on media, tech companies, and citizens to fight the spread of fake news
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Abuja, FCT - The federal government recognised Dr Brendan Innocent Usoro, executive chairman of Miden Systems Limited, with the Excellence in Corporate Governance and Business Integrity Award at a national summit on misinformation held on Wednesday, October 28, at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
The Nigerian Press Council (NPC), under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, organised the summit to bring together journalists, policymakers, security agencies, corporate executives and civil society groups to map out strategies against fake news as Nigeria heads towards the 2027 general elections.
Source: UGC
Usoro Raises Alarm Over AI-Driven Disinformation
Receiving the award, Usoro said misinformation had grown into a direct threat to national security, business confidence and democratic participation. He pointed to the rising use of artificial intelligence to produce fabricated audio recordings, doctored videos and misleading reports as a development that makes it harder for ordinary Nigerians to tell fact from fiction.
"People use false information to de-market their political opponents, competitors' products and services, as well as create tension in the polity," he said.
He warned that left unchecked, such tactics could deepen ethnic and religious tensions and distort voters' choices. He urged Nigerians to verify content before sharing it, recommended the use of fact-checking organisations such as Dubawa, and called on regulatory bodies including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to collaborate more closely against manipulated media. He was clear, however, that any crackdown must not restrict press freedom or legitimate public criticism.
Usoro also disclosed that Miden Systems Limited, which he said was founded in 1997 and now serves clients in the oil and gas sector including ExxonMobil, Nigeria LNG Limited, Renaissance Africa Energy Company and the Port Harcourt Refinery Company, had itself suffered reputational harm from false reports linked to a dispute with a commercial bank.
Ministers Back Coordinated Action Against Fake News
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Intelligence, Musa Likita, described the unchecked spread of false information as a threat capable of provoking violence and weakening public confidence in institutions.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, speaking through a representative, called on media organisations to tighten editorial oversight and correct errors promptly. He also urged technology companies to take responsibility for how their platforms are used and advocated for media literacy programmes in schools and communities.
NPC Executive Secretary Dr Dili Ezughah said the summit was designed to build the capacity of media professionals and create a platform for practical solutions to the misinformation challenge ahead of the 2027 polls.
Other award recipients included Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha and Dr Yakubu Barde, Federal Commissioner for Salaries, Income and Wages.
Source: Legit.ng
