National Digital Peace Ambassadors launch campaign against online misinformation

The National Digital Peace Ambassadors (NDPA) has launched a new civic initiative in Abuja aimed at promoting responsible online engagement and combating misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. The initiative, themed ‘Digital Peace and National Security: Building Responsible Voices for a United Nigeria,’ seeks to address the growing influence of digital platforms on public opinion and political discourse.

National Secretary Erikan Obong warned that the struggle for national peace has shifted significantly into the digital space. She noted that unverified messages, manipulated videos, or inflammatory posts can rapidly trigger fear and mistrust across communities. Obong specifically highlighted the risks posed by advances in Artificial Intelligence, which can make it harder to protect information integrity by facilitating the spread of false allegations against ethnic or religious groups.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the NDPA flagged concerns that political and religious tensions could be exploited through propaganda and manipulated content. Obong emphasized that the initiative does not aim to restrict freedom of expression or the ability to criticize the government, stating, ‘A peaceful digital space must not mean a silent digital space.’