Nigeria’s Office of Advancement Overlooking Fight Against Misinformation Despite ₦98 Billion 2026 Budget

Nigeria’s Information Ministry Omits Funding for Anti-Misinformation Efforts in 2026 Budget

The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, along with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has allocated no funds to combat fake news in its 2026 budget despite receiving a total allocation of ₦98.2 billion. This striking omission comes at a time when misinformation threatens Nigeria’s democratic processes and social stability.

In a concerning shift, the ministry has completely removed its previous anti-fake news budget line. The FactCheckHub reported that experts had already criticized the ministry’s 2024 allocation of ₦24.5 million for fighting misinformation as woefully inadequate, but rather than increasing this funding, officials have eliminated it entirely. The only remotely related item in the current budget is a modest ₦14 million allocation for training officers in fact-checking techniques.

The timing of this budgetary decision raises significant concerns. Nigeria is approaching another pre-election period, historically a time when false narratives intensify across social media platforms and messaging applications. The 2023 general elections saw a surge in doctored photos, manipulated videos, and misleading text messages, particularly on WhatsApp, throughout the campaign season that culminated in President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

A similar pattern emerged during the recent Anambra election, where unverified claims about election outcomes, violence, and electoral malpractice spread rapidly. The Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition later debunked many of these claims, highlighting the persistent challenge of electoral misinformation.

The budget omission stands in stark contrast to global recognition of misinformation as a critical threat. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 ranked misinformation and disinformation as the second most severe short-term global risk, surpassed only by geoeconomic confrontation and ranking ahead of numerous economic, environmental, and security threats.

Caleb Ijioma, Executive Director of Round Check, warned in an interview with The FactCheckHub that information disorder poses a serious threat to the upcoming 2027 general elections. “With political activities already picking up ahead of the 2027 elections, one would expect the Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency to be more proactive in curbing the spread of misinformation,” Ijioma said.

He emphasized that misinformation has become a strategic tool for manipulating voter perception. “We have seen its impact in previous elections. It is getting more serious and has now become a global problem. Bad actors continue to deploy sophisticated techniques to undermine electoral processes and incite violence,” he noted.

Ijioma pointed to Oxford’s selection of “rage bait” as its 2025 Word of the Year as evidence of how emotionally charged, misleading content is deliberately deployed to drive online engagement. He argued that the lack of funding to counter misinformation “sends a signal that Nigeria is not prepared to confront misinformation as a global threat—one that has continued to negatively affect the country.”

The impact of misinformation extends beyond politics. Nigeria’s international reputation has suffered from misleading narratives, including claims about religious persecution that intensified after comments by a former U.S. president. Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have also used social media platforms to spread false claims about Nigeria, at times contributing to diplomatic tensions.

Economic misinformation has flourished as well, with misleading interpretations of Nigeria’s new tax reforms circulating online since their implementation in June 2025. Experts suggest the NOA should play a more active role in countering such narratives—a responsibility that remains largely unaddressed without proper funding.

Ijioma stressed that adequate budgetary allocation would enable the implementation of targeted interventions, promotion of media literacy, and establishment of partnerships with organizations working to combat misinformation. “You need resources to do the work. At a time when misinformation is a global threat to democracy and economic stability, funding is not optional—it is essential,” he concluded.

The government’s failure to prioritize this issue in the 2026 budget raises serious questions about Nigeria’s preparedness to protect its information ecosystem as the country moves toward another election cycle.