Lai Mohammed explains why FG raised hate speech fine to N5m

The minister of Information and Culture in Nigeria Lai Mohammed explains why the Federal Government raised hate speech fine to N5m

The federal government says it increased the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million in the amended National Broadcasting Code to deter people who are willingly to violating the provision to destabilize the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the explanation on Friday when he featured on a TVC live Program, “This Morning” monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

In 2019, the minister announced the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the increase of the fine which was later stipulated in the amended Broadcasting Code.

“What motivated the amendment was that when the fine was N500,000 we saw the provision being violated at will because the amount was very easy to pay,” he said.

The minister explained that some desperate people who know that their broadcast content contains hate speech will insist that the broadcast stations should air it while they bear the cost of the fine.

The minister noted that those attacking the government over the increase must remember that hate speech had destroyed many countries.

He recalled that Rwandan lost 800,000 lives to hate speech while Bosnia and Cambodia equally lost thousands of lives to the menace.

Mr Mohammed said Nigeria is not the only country to impose sanction on hate speech, adding that some nations have more stringent provisions.

“Chad has today slow down the speed of its internet service to slow down the growth of hate speech.