THE Office of the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has trained over 100 social media influencers from across Northern Nigeria on the effective use of social media.
News Point Nigeria reports that the training, held on Sunday in Kano, was designed to equip participants with skills to counter disinformation and misinformation while also amplifying government communication on national issues.
Speaking at the workshop, Abdulaziz said the initiative was aimed at strengthening the capacity of influencers to identify and counter false information circulating online.
He added that the programme would also help participants stay informed about the achievements of the current administration, enabling them to better educate Nigerians.
“The workshop will equip them with skills on how to counter disinformation and misinformation.
“We see a lot of social media videos, AI-generated pictures, and clips designed to create disaffection or misinform the public.
“These skills will help them to use social media more effectively for information dissemination,” he said.
Abdulaziz further explained that the training was part of broader efforts to promote national unity and ensure that influencers understand government programmes and policies.
He noted that while Nigerians have the right to freedom of expression, social media must be used responsibly to avoid spreading harmful or misleading content.
“These are the areas of focus. That is why we felt it’s important to encourage them and urge them to continue doing what they believe in, because that is democracy.
“Everybody has the right to express his/her opinion on issues and to participate in political or non-political organisations.
“But we see a lot of recklessness in the use of social media. People need to know what the government is doing,” he added.
Earlier in his presentation, Development Scholar, Dr. Musa Abdullahi-Sufi, said the training was aimed at changing negative narratives about Nigeria.
He urged influencers to focus more on development-oriented stories and positive national achievements rather than negative content.
Dr. Abdullahi-Sufi added that the programme also covered ethical social media use, fact-checking, and responsible digital engagement practices.