The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has called for tighter regulations on social media usage in Nigeria.
In a brief statement posted on his X account on Monday, Olayinka suggested that individuals should be required to provide a National Identification Number along with a valid government-issued ID—such as an international passport, voter’s card, or driver’s license—before they can create or manage any social media account.
The statement reads, “NIN, Valid Identity Card (International Passport, Voter’s Card, Driver’s Licence). These two should be made compulsory to open and operate social media accounts. This proposal seeks to reduce misinformation and increase online accountability.”
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Indeed, Nigeria’s NIN system, already tied to phone numbers and bank accounts, demonstrates how verified identities can create accountability in digital spaces, as verified accounts make it harder for anonymous bots or fake profiles to spread false information
In countries like Nigeria, where NIN is mandatory for services like banking and telecommunications, extending it to social media aligns with existing identity frameworks, creating a unified system for digital accountability.
