Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has called on the federal government to enforce stricter regulations on access to social media platforms in Nigeria.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Olayinka suggested that anyone seeking to open or operate a social media account should be required to provide a National Identification Number (NIN) and a valid government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, international passport, or voter’s card.
He wrote: “To open or run a social media account, a NIN and a valid ID card (such as an International Passport, Voter’s Card, or Driver’s Licence) should be mandatory.
This is aimed at curbing the spread of false information and promoting accountability online.”
Nigeria’s use of the NIN already linked to phone numbers and bank accounts reflects the government’s move toward a verified digital identity system.
Olayinka said extending this requirement to social media could help prevent the misuse of anonymous or fake accounts to spread misinformation.
According to him, “As identity verification is already a requirement for many services in Nigeria, applying it to social media would align with existing policies aimed at improving national security and digital accountability”.
