By Eberechi Obinagwam
Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), in conjunction with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), have inaugurated a Private Sector Coalition Group to fight against disinformation in Nigeria businesses.
NECA Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, while inaugurating the group on Tuesday, in Lagos stressed about the negative impact disinformation has done to Nigerian businesses and the need for a prompt action in fighting against it.
Pledging his commitment, he said the private sector is joining hands with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other related agencies to fight the menace.
He urged media and other parties present at the inauguration to take it as a project that must be accomplished, “You cannot imagine where it will take us. It is a global issue. Its an original process that involves all of us to play our roles in making it worth while,” he said.
Project Coordinator, Olusola Ayodele, while presenting his research on disinformation in Nigeria said it is a significant challenge facing private enterprises.
Giving analysis of how big the disinformation problem is to Nigerian businesses, he said 52 per cent of businesses are suffering as a result of disinformation, 25 per cent have somewhat of a problem, 17 per cent of many businesses will die as a result, 7 per cent not sure while 0 per cent, not a problem.
Ayodele also explained that the primary intent of those who create and disseminate disinformation campaigns is to reduce trust in the targets and create distrust in business segment, adding that coordination between the government and business organisations is critical for addressing these problems.
TheNiche reports that disinformation is false information deliberately created and spread to influence public opinion or perception on a particular subject with the intent to harm or gain advantage over that paty. It flows because people do not verify with information they receive which inturn damages products and companies.
The inaugurated group were charged by NECA’s DG to find a way of coming up with a workplan in the next three months to enable them start creating awareness about it.