The Federal Government has called on Commissioners for Information in All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled states to take the lead in countering what it described as a malicious disinformation campaign branding Nigeria a “genocide destination.”
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the call on Wednesday at the Progressive Governors’ Summit for APC States’ Commissioners for Information held in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Idris said the campaign was a coordinated attempt to fracture national unity, damage Nigeria’s global image, and discourage investment.
“We are now confronting a deliberate and malicious campaign to falsely label Nigeria a ‘genocide destination.’ This is not mere misinformation; it is a coordinated disinformation operation. Our first strategic imperative, therefore, is to disarm and dislodge this corrosive narrative,” he stated.
He urged the commissioners to serve as the first line of defence for Nigeria’s integrity and to lead a unified national information response against the disinformation campaign.
“This moment demands that we reinforce our strategic counter-voice, systematically deconstructing these dangerous falsehoods with data, expert testimony, and powerful narratives of community resilience and inter-ethnic cooperation,” he said.
The Minister announced that the Federal Government would soon unveil a National Values Charter — a central component of national reorientation aimed at promoting patriotism, unity, and trust among citizens.
“The National Values Charter will be the most potent counter-narrative to negative foreign mischaracterization of Nigeria. The Charter defines who we are a people committed to unity in diversity, resilience, and mutual respect,” he said.
He tasked the Commissioners to make the Charter the basis of state-level communication and to use it to project a shared national identity that makes divisive narratives irrelevant.
Reaffirming the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Idris described the President as “a reformer second to none,” adding that his policies were delivering measurable results across sectors.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had injected N1.5 trillion into the Bank of Agriculture — the highest in the institution’s history — to strengthen its capital base, boost food production, and enhance food security nationwide.
“The Tinubu administration’s reforms are deliberate steps to build a more secure and equitable Nigeria. Our communications must consistently reflect this strategic direction, showing clearly that government is present and working for all citizens,” he said.
The summit, hosted by the Borno State Government, brought together Commissioners for Information from APC-controlled states to deepen collaboration on strategic communication, media literacy, and national orientation.
