By Nana Musa
The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) on Friday unveiled national crisis communication hub, raising concerns over the growing spread of misinformation, political tension and insecurity in country’s information space.
The Centre Chairman, Chris Olukolade, at a news conference in Abuja to unveil the hub and the centre’s latest media analysis report, warned that the trend misinformation posed a serious risk ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Olukolade said that the plans to establish a national Crisis Communication Hub (CCHub) was to strengthen coordinated information management during emergency and crises time.
The chairman said that the findings from the report indicated a worrying rise in insecurity-related narratives, political tension and rapid spread of false information across digital platforms.
According to him, the study was conducted using PRrev, an AI-driven media monitoring and social listening tool developed by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, tracking conversations across X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp groups, online news platforms and diaspora forums.
Olukolade said the analysis showed that many Nigerians were increasingly expressing fear over insecurity, frustration with leadership and mixed reactions to government actions.
“This sentiments are being amplified by both factual reporting and deliberate misinformation circulating online,” he said.
He said that the report, identified troubling trends such as the rapid spread of fake news, increasing forged documents and rising politically motivated disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Olukolade said that private messaging platforms, particularly WhatsApp, as major channels for misinformation, was making detection and response more challenging.
He said that communication gaps during crises, especially delayed or unclear official statements, often create room for rumours and speculations to dominate public discourse.
The chairman warned that if left unchecked, such misinformation trends could erode public trust and threaten national stability.
He said that as part of measures to address the challenge, the CCC planed to establish the CCHub as an independent, multi-stakeholder platform for managing information during emergencies.
Olukolade said the hub would focus on real-time detection and countering of fake news, support communication efforts across federal, state and local levels, while strengthening public confidence in official information.
“The CCHub is not designed as a censorship body but as a collaborative platform bringing together government institutions, media organisations, civil society and technology partners to ensure timely and accurate information dissemination,” he said.
According to him, key stakeholders expected to participate in the initiative include the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (FMINO), and Nigeria Police Force.
Also are Defence Headquarters, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), among others.
Olukolade recommended timely and coordinated crisis communication, stronger fact-checking mechanisms, improved collaboration among stakeholders and increased public awareness to help citizens identify and resist misinformation.
He also said that there was need for the country to strengthen its crisis communication systems as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The CCC remains committed to supporting efforts that promote accurate information, responsible communication and national unity,” Olukolade said.
