The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has called for stringent regulations on social media usage in Nigeria.
In a succinct statement published on his X account on Monday, Olayinka proposed that before anyone could create or manage a social account, they should be asked to present a valid government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, voter card, or international passport, along with their National Identification Number.
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The statement reads, “NIN, Valid Identity Card (International Passport, Voter’s Card, Driver’s Licence). These two should be made compulsory to open and operate social accounts. This proposal seeks to reduce misinformation and increase online accountability.”
Indeed, Nigeria’s NIN system, already tied to phone numbers and bank accounts, demonstrates how verified identities can create accountability in digital spaces, as verified accounts make it harder for anonymous bots or fake profiles to spread false information.
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In countries like Nigeria, where NIN is mandatory for services like banking and telecommunications, extending it to social media aligns with existing identity frameworks, creating a unified system for digital accountability.
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