The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has cautioned against fresh moves to regulate social media in Nigeria, warning that such attempts are a distraction from the country’s real problems — insecurity, poverty, and unemployment.
The organisation was reacting to comments by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who, at an event in Ekiti State, described social media as a threat to Nigeria’s peace.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Executive Director, Y.Z. Ya’u, CITAD said the lawmaker’s remarks fit into a recurring pattern where government officials blame social media for challenges that stem from poor governance.
“Coming from a high-ranking senator and against the backdrop of growing clampdown on freedom of expression online, such a call must not be dismissed as accidental,” Ya’u said. “It reflects a mindset in government circles that seeks to whittle down citizens’ right to free expression.”
According to CITAD, Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is not the creation of Facebook posts or tweets but the consequence of unaddressed grievances and structural failures.
“This country has been witnessing increasing violence, with innocent people losing their lives almost daily. These tragedies have nothing to do with social media but everything to do with the failure of government to address injustice, poverty, unemployment and weak conflict resolution mechanisms,” the group said.
Ya’u argued that no country in the world has blamed social media for lack of peace, adding that digital platforms are instead vital spaces for civic engagement.
“Access to social media has become a fundamental right of citizens, a space where people share information, express themselves and hold government accountable. That is the essence of democracy,” he stated.
CITAD challenged Senator Bamidele, once known as a voice for social justice, to redirect his energy towards tackling the real issues that fuel insecurity and public anger.
“Social media regulation is nothing but an attempt to curtail citizens’ rights,” Ya’u maintained. “What this country needs is not censorship, but policies that fight hunger, joblessness, insecurity and injustice.”
