By Moses Emorinken, Abuja
The Federal Government yesterday pledged to work with Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) to fight disinformation, fake news, hate speech and develop its information technology hub.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the pledge when the Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen and Ambassador of Innovation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland, Mr Tarmi Sarena, visited him in Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports FOC is a group of 31 countries with three African nations – Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia – that work together to advance internet freedom, mainly through shaping global norms.
The coalition, launched at a conference of the Dutch Government in The Hague, Netherlands, in December 2011, works through joint statements, multi-stakeholders’ engagement and diplomatic initiatives and interventions.
Mohammed assured Pulkkinen and Sarena, who visited to convince him on the need for Nigeria to become a member of the coalition, that it would be to the benefit of the country.
“When I look at the objectives of the Freedom Online Coalition, you have come to preach to the convinced. The platform is about innovation, information and creative industry. It is a coalition of countries with like-minds whose objective is human rights, privacy security and trust.
“When it comes to innovation, Nigeria is the Africa hub because we have a pool of young, talented and ambitious young people in the country,” he said.
The Finnish Ambassador said Iberia had a vibrant and innovative information technology ecosystem and that joining the FOC would be of advantage to the country.
Sarena said Finland would be occupying the chairmanship of the coalition in 2021 and he would welcome Nigeria’s participation and membership.
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