Towards a Sustainable National Security: Examining the Effect of Regulations Against Fake News and Hate Speech in Nigerian Media

Sequel to the high prevalence of ventilating fake news, misinformation, and hate speech in the media, most especially by social media users; and taking into cognisance the resultant insecurity, instability, and disunity that such an act portends, many countries including Nigeria, have been swiftly responding, by formulating different policies to "regulate" the use of social media platforms and its contents, to curtail the growing menace. This study which is hinged on agenda setting theory, therefore, investigated whether or not all these regulations have been of any effect to curb or completely eradicate the ugly trend in the Nigerian society and media space. The study utilised library research to arrive at secondary data and thematically discussed the topic by dissecting existing and relevant scholarly literature and articles that are useful for understanding the issues surrounding the investigation. Findings revealed that these regulations in Nigeria are not only repressive but ineffective; and that social media users could hardly be encumbered by government regulations, at least for now, largely because of the nature of the internet which is not limited by geographical boundaries. The study, therefore, recommended among others, that both the government and media owners should organise, from time to time, media literacy campaigns that will instill a sense of responsible use of the media space in the consciousness of social media users.