The 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria were fuelled by disinformation, according to former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
In a statement confirmed by his media aide, Nnamdi Atupulazi, Mohammed made the remarks during a high-level forum at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on Friday.
Atupulazi said the LSE engagement was part of Mohammed’s three-day speaking tour in the United Kingdom, where he is discussing governance and public communication based on his book Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration.
He said the protests, which began as a response to alleged police brutality in Nigeria, were later escalated by the widespread circulation of fake news and unverified reports across both traditional and digital platforms.
“The problem we had was not the usual communication gap between the government and the citizens. It was fake news and disinformation, coupled with unbridled violence”, he said.
Mohammed also accused sections of the foreign media of relying on unverified or manipulated content, which he said distorted global understanding of the events.
He warned that the #EndSARS episode demonstrated the dangers of information disorder and stressed the need for stronger fact-checking systems and greater media responsibility.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, the former minister said Nigeria developed its own communication strategy in the absence of an established global template at the onset of the crisis.
He explained that the government relied on coordinated messaging, daily briefings, and multi-platform engagement to ensure Nigerians received timely and accurate information.
According to him, communication materials were also translated into major local languages and Nigerian Pidgin to broaden public understanding.
