Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information on Friday restated government’s commitment not to regulate social media services in Nigeria while formally closing the 2016 Social Media Week Lagos.
The 2016 Social Media Week Lagos which started on Monday in the nation’s bustling commercial centre engaged big players in the technology and social media circle in many interactive sessions to discuss ways to further maximize the numerous untapped opportunities in that young but robust sector.
Speaking on the so-called “Social Media Bill”, the Minister said that this government has no intention of regulating social media.
“We have said it severally that there is no intention by the government to regulate social media. However, the social media must self-regulate or else it will self-destruct. My advice to social media for it to remain relevant is to self-regulate, but what I can assure you is that the government won’t regulate it’’, the Minister said at 2016 Social Media Week Lagos.
According to him, the Federal Government recognizes the achievement of the 2016 Social Media Week Lagos in putting Nigeria’s name in the world’s map for four years now and expressed government’s willingness to support the event in subsequent years.
‘’Social Media Week Lagos is significant in many ways, it has received many participants who come from all over the world to explore education, banking, technology and so on. We recognize all this and we hope to play a more prominent role in subsequent years’’, Mohammed also said.
The one-week programme was then wrapped up with an after event party that featured performances by musicians, Omawunmi and Reminisce. DJ Jimmy Jatt was also present to entertain people with popular music tunes.
