WPRF 2026: Misinformation on social media fuelling insecurity, NIPR, NSCDC warn - The Guardian Nigeria News

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have warned that misinformation and irresponsible communication, particularly on social media, are contributing to insecurity and unnecessary tension in the country.

They gave the warning on Saturday during a nationwide roadshow organised by the NIPR ahead of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled to hold in Abuja in November.

The FCT chapter of the institute commenced its sensitisation exercise from the Zoological Garden, Area 1, Abuja, with the campaign aimed at encouraging Nigerians to embrace responsible communication and verify information before sharing it.

Speaking during the exercise, the NSCDC Commandant, FCT Command, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, said misinformation could trigger panic, attacks on innocent citizens and other security challenges when unverified information was circulated as fact.

He cautioned against the circulation of old videos and photographs presented as current incidents, saying such content could create unnecessary fear and tension.

“Somebody would just wake up from somewhere, bring a video that is as old as 20 years, where maybe a crisis happened, and you just tag it as happening now in Kano State.

“Such irresponsible communication heats up the polity,” Odumosu said.

The commandant said many people shared information without first establishing its authenticity, adding that such actions could have consequences for public safety.

He said irresponsible communication could also encourage attacks, kidnapping and other criminal activities, urging Nigerians, particularly young social media users, to exercise greater caution.

“People should get to know that it is not too good to send out information that can heat the polity, send out information that can make people start attacking themselves, send out information that can encourage banditry or kidnapping and all of that,” he said.

Odumosu said the theme of the World Public Relations Forum, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” was therefore relevant to the security challenges confronting the country.

He urged Nigerians to see communication as part of the collective responsibility of maintaining peace and security, rather than treating social media as a platform for sharing unverified content.

Chairman of the National Planning Committee for WPRF Abuja 2026, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, said the rapid growth of social media and artificial intelligence had created new challenges for information integrity.

Haruna acknowledged freedom of expression as a constitutional right but said the exercise of that right should not infringe on the rights of others.

“People feel free to express themselves. And it’s a constitutional right for people to express themselves. But unfortunately, your rights stop where the right of the next person starts,” he said.

He said the advent of artificial intelligence had made it even more important for stakeholders to examine how information was produced, distributed and consumed.

Haruna said the forum would provide an opportunity for communication professionals from different parts of the world to discuss ways of strengthening information integrity.

A member of the National Planning Committee and chairman of its Civil Society Task Team, Inimfon Etuk, said the roadshow was being conducted across the country to sensitise Nigerians about the forthcoming forum.

Etuk said the forum would bring together public relations professionals, strategic communication experts, corporate communication executives and other stakeholders from different countries.

Chairman of NIPR, FCT Chapter, Stanley Ogadigo, described the WPRF as an opportunity for Nigeria to project its image and tell its story to the international community.

Ogadigo said Nigeria had secured the hosting rights for the global forum after a competitive process, adding that it would be the first time the WPRF would be held in Nigeria.

He said the event would also be held alongside the 37th annual conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), making the gathering significant for the continent.

According to him, Nigeria should use the opportunity to showcase its hospitality, culture and capacity to host major international events.

He urged Nigerians, corporate organisations and government institutions to support the forum, stressing that it should be regarded as a national project.

Ogadigo disclosed that the programme would feature engagements with academics, an Africa Day focused on the continent’s culture and other activities designed to expose international delegates to Nigerian fashion, cuisine and hospitality.

He also said the forum would focus on developing a new framework for the public relations profession globally, with participants expected to deliberate on what he described as the Abuja Declaration.