Minister assures Nigeria will work with Google, urges Big Tech to block ‘terrorist’ networks on YouTube

*Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information and Culture, urges Google to not allow channels and e-mails containing names of proscribed groups and their affiliates on its platforms

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Aside from enabling Nigerian consumers to earn a living and participate in socio-political affairs of the West African country, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister for Information and Culture, has requested Google to block terrorist groups and organisations from YouTube on the Internet.

ConsumerConnect reports Mohammed made the request when a team from Google visited the Minister in his office August 4, 2022, in Abuja, FCT.

Mr. Segun Adeyemi, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity (Office of Information and Culture Minister), in a statement issued in Abuja, noted Alhaji Mohammed said: “We want Google to look into how to tackle the use of private and unlisted YouTube channels and YouTube livestreams by proscribed groups and terrorist organisations.

“Channels and e-mails containing names of proscribed groups and their affiliates should not be allowed on Google platforms.”

The Minister, who acknowledged that Google is a platform of choice for IPOB, a proscribed terrorist group in the country,, implored the global tech giant to deny the group the use of its platform for acts of violence and destabilisation.

According to Mohammed, Nigerians are among the most vibrant social media users in the world, with over 100 million Internet users in the country.

He also said that Internet platforms, such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and WhatsApp had enabled Nigerian consumers to interact, share ideas, earn a living, and participate in social and political affairs of the country.

The Minister, however, noted the Big Techs’ platforms are also being used by those he described as  “unscrupulous persons or groups” for subversive and nefarious activities in the country’s digital ecosystem.

It is recalled the Federal Government, of late, proposed a “Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries” in an attempt to provide a framework for collaboratively protecting Nigerian users of the Internet.

Mohammed stated: “This code couldn’t have come at a better time, as the country prepares for General Elections next year.

“We are committed to working with platforms like yours as well as the civil society, lawyers, media practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a responsible use of the Internet and to protect our people from the harmful effects of social media.”

Mr. Charles Murito, Google Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Government Affairs and Public Policy, disclosed that the platform has introduced a programme tagged, “Trusted Flaggers” for citizens trained to track and engage with online content in order to flag content of serious concern.

The Google Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, stated: “As I mentioned earlier, we share the same sentiments.

“We share the same goals and objectives, and we do not want our platform to be used for ill purposes.”

Likewise, Mr. Adewolu Adene, Google Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, noted that ‘Equiano’, a subsea cable, which the global tech giant berthed in Nigeria from Portugal recently, is aimed at enhancing connectivity and access to the Internet.

Adene also stated that the project is designed to reduce the cost of data, facilitate job creation, and transfer of knowledge to Nigerian consumers in Cyberspace.

The Google Manager also noted through the Google News Initiative Challenge, 30 media platforms, with five from Nigeria, including the Dubawa fact-checking platform, would be awarded a $3.2 million grant in recognition of their innovative work in information dissemination in the ecosystem.

Adene assured of Google’s readiness to work with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to digitise the recently-repatriated artifacts in order to preserve and market them to a global audience through Google Arts and Culture.