2027 Elections: Information Minister Urges Broadcasters to Uphold Professionalism, Reject Misinformation
Oru Leonard
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian broadcasters to uphold accuracy, fairness and professional ethics in their coverage of the 2027 general elections, stressing that responsible broadcasting is essential to protecting democracy.
Idris made the call on Monday in Bauchi in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace, at the 3rd Annual National Conference of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB).
This is contained in a statement signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation
Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
The Minister said the wide reach and influence of broadcasting placed a significant professional responsibility on practitioners to ensure that information disseminated to the public is accurate, verified and properly contextualised.
According to him, responsible broadcasting should not be confused with favourable coverage, noting that the media must continue to question government, political parties, candidates and public institutions.
“Responsible broadcasting, however, should never be interpreted as favourable broadcasting. A professional media must continue to question government, political parties, candidates and public institutions. It must investigate, scrutinise and hold those in positions of responsibility to account,” Idris said.
He urged broadcasters to clearly distinguish between facts, allegations, opinions and unverified claims, particularly at a time when artificial intelligence and social media platforms have made the production and dissemination of manipulated and false content easier.
“Verification cannot be treated as an occasional newsroom procedure; it must remain at the heart of professional broadcasting,” the Minister said.
Idris also cautioned broadcasters against hate speech, ethnic and religious provocation and the deliberate circulation of false information during the 2027 electoral period.
He, however, stressed the need for broadcasters to continue providing platforms for legitimate political debate, criticism and diverse viewpoints.
“Political competition is an essential part of democracy, but it must not be allowed to become a source of incitement, hate speech, ethnic or religious provocation, or the deliberate circulation of false information,” he said.
The Minister highlighted Federal Government investments in Nigeria’s broadcasting sector, including the Digital Switch Over platform and the ongoing modernisation of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria.
He said technological advancement would continue to shape the future of broadcasting, but maintained that the credibility of the industry would ultimately depend on the professionalism of practitioners.
“The future of broadcasting will be shaped by technology, but its credibility will continue to depend on people,” Idris said.
He therefore called on the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters and other industry stakeholders to strengthen professional training, particularly in election reporting, fact-checking and verification, as well as develop stronger safeguards against AI-generated misinformation.
The conference provided a platform for broadcasters and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of broadcasting and the responsibilities of the industry ahead of the 2027 elections.
