By Favour Ulebor
Abuja-European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, has warned over the danger posed by foreign-borne misinformation to media credibility and democratic governance in Nigeria.
Mignot, who gave the warning at a one-day workshop on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, FIMI, organised for members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, DICAN, in Abuja yesterday, said false information, regardless of its guise or motive, harmed society by compromising media integrity, weakening public trust in institutions and reducing people’s ability to make informed decisions.
He noted that when misleading content was intentionally crafted to deceive and circulated widely, the consequences become more severe.
The envoy warned that when the media lost credibility, democracy itself was at risk, explaining that media professionals, such as diplomats, must ensure the information they shared was accurate.
Describing journalists as “multipliers” in the information value chain, Mignot cautioned that because they controlled what reached the public space, they were often frontline targets of FIMI.
He said: “Once the media is misinformed or disinformed, the entire society is at risk of being deceived.”
He explained that advances in technology had made it easier and faster to create and spread deceptive content; including text, images, audio, memes and video, which now blend with legitimate news and made it harder for the public to distinguish truth from falsehood.
According to the ambassador, the fight against information manipulation requires a twofold approach. ‘’Firstly, media organizations must remain true to their role as gatekeepers by prioritising truth and thorough research over speed.
‘’Secondly, citizens must become media literate, learning to critically evaluate information and avoid embracing ‘pleasant lies’ over uncomfortable truths,’’ the envoy said.
Mignot said the EU was actively supporting media literacy and fact-checking initiatives, including training for Nigerian journalists and collaboration with civil society organisations and media platforms to strengthen resilience against disinformation.
In his remarks, representative of the Strategic Communication Division, European External Action Service, Brussels, EEAS, Sébastien/ Babaud, said FIMI represented a pattern of behaviour that threatened core values, political processes and international partnerships.
According to him, FIMI undermines the stability and security of nations by eroding trust, spreading false narratives and weakening democratic foundations.
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