By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Kaduna State Government has expressed readiness to collaborate with civil society organisations and development partners to curb the spread of misinformation and hate speech, which it identified as major drivers of conflict in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, made the call during an Executive Peace Roundtable organised under the Delimi PROSPER Project in Kaduna.

The project is being implemented by Engaging Borders Strategy Research and Development with support from the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria Programme of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Maiyaki said initiatives that engage young people in peacebuilding were commendable but stressed the need for closer collaboration with relevant government institutions, including the Ministry of Education, to ensure such programmes achieve their intended objectives.

He noted that youth-produced documentaries, podcasts and digital storytelling must be carefully guided to avoid language or narratives capable of triggering tensions.

According to the commissioner, communication strategies and media content should reflect the social realities of Kaduna State.

He warned that the careless use of language and the spread of unverified information, particularly on social media, could escalate tensions and potentially lead to violence.

Maiyaki also recounted encountering a social media post advising travellers not to visit Kaduna due to an alleged crisis that later turned out to be false, noting that such misinformation could create unnecessary panic.

He further explained that many people, including media practitioners, sometimes struggle to distinguish between misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, despite their different implications.

According to him, misinformation may contain elements of truth but is shared inaccurately, while disinformation involves deliberately fabricated content designed to mislead or provoke conflict.

He therefore called for stronger collaboration among government, the media and civil society organisations to address the challenge.

Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Director of the Delimi PROSPER Project, Mr. Richard Ali, said the initiative was designed as a non-kinetic intervention to address underlying drivers of conflict, particularly those linked to environmental pressures, governance gaps and competing community narratives.

Ali explained that under the project, 60 young people from Kaduna and Plateau states participated in community peacebuilding workshops focusing on environmental conflict dynamics, countering extremist narratives and documenting socio-environmental advocacy.

He said the participants subsequently formed a Community of Practice through which they produced documentaries, podcasts and digital storytelling content aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and improving understanding of resource-related conflicts.

According to him, the Executive Peace Roundtable was convened to provide a platform for policy dialogue where insights from youth perspectives, research findings and community experiences could inform peacebuilding strategies.

Participants at the roundtable, which held at the Gusau Institute, included government officials, security actors, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, youth leaders, disability inclusion advocates and development partners.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, participants emphasised the importance of preventive and non-kinetic approaches to complement existing security responses.

They also highlighted the growing influence of youth and digital narratives in shaping public perception and early warning signals, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between government institutions and community actors.

The communiqué further underscored the importance of inclusive engagement involving women, youth and persons with disabilities in efforts aimed at promoting sustainable peace in the state.