Kano, Kaduna governors urge media to curb hate speech ahead of 2027

The governors of Kano and Kaduna have asked journalists to guard against hate speech and false reports as the country moves towards the 2027 general elections. Both spoke through their commissioners at a book launch in Abuja on Thursday.

The book, Digital Shift in Nigeria's Newspaper Industry, was written by Dr Sunday Isuwa, Group News Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspapers. The event drew government officials, clerics and media figures.

Kano governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by Information Commissioner Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, said campaign talk was sliding into insults and false claims. He said such conduct weakens democracy and that rivals should argue over what they will do for citizens, not attack each other.

Kaduna governor Uba Sani, represented by Information Commissioner Ahmed Maiyaki, asked reporters to dig into claims rather than merely cover rallies. He said the country must outlast every campaign and every candidate.

"Campaigns will end. Posters will end. Candidates, of course, some will win, and some will lose. But at the end of the day, what is more important is this corporate entity called Nigeria," Sani said.

Sani also said shrinking newsrooms and new production methods are putting media jobs at risk. He advised journalists to pick up multimedia skills, including artificial intelligence (AI), to stay employable.

AI rules and voter turnout

Archbishop Sunday Onuoha, president of Vision Africa and a former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo on privatisation, called for written newsroom rules on AI. He spoke through Bishop Frederick Onoja of the Methodist Church, Kubwa Diocese.

Onuoha asked media houses to set up election verification teams before campaigns heat up, and to work with credible fact-checking groups. He also suggested training reporters in electoral law, data journalism, digital investigation and conflict-sensitive reporting.

He wants sponsored political content clearly labelled, corrections handled quickly, more reporting in local languages, and hotlines where the public can send suspicious claims for checking. He said coverage should centre on jobs, education, health, security, infrastructure, corruption, poverty and the economy.

Isuwa warned that speed in the digital age must not come at the cost of accuracy. He said technology can spread journalism further but cannot by itself make it trustworthy.

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, said trust is what keeps a media house alive. He urged Nigerians to treat democracy as their own business, not just that of politicians.

Kudla Milinda Haske, founder of Aerokeys Nigeria Limited, said turnout is too low for a country of about 230 million people. He said "we had less than 20 million" taking part and called for stronger public awareness campaigns on voting.

He urged eligible Nigerians to get their Permanent Voter Cards and take part in 2027.

What happens next

None of the speakers announced new laws or penalties. Their calls are likely to feed into how newsrooms and the electoral body prepare for campaigns, which are expected to intensify closer to the vote.