It was a moment that carried more weight than the usual keynote address at a media summit. Standing before journalists, policymakers, and media executives at the Nigerian Press Council National Summit on Curbing Fake News and Misinformation in the Nigerian Media Space in Abuja, Brendan Innocent Usoro, the executive chairman of Miden Systems Limited, did not just deliver another speech about the challenges of the digital age. He issued a sobering warning about a threat that is no longer theoretical, but already unfolding in real time across Nigeria. With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, Usoro argued that the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to fabricate news and spread misinformation has moved far beyond the realm of social media nuisance. It has become a serious and urgent threat to business stability, national security, and the very fabric of Nigeria’s democracy. His presence at the summit was itself a statement, as he was there to receive the Excellence in Corporate Governance and Business Integrity Award, an honor that recognized his commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, and responsible business practices. But instead of basking in the recognition, he chose to use the platform to sound the alarm about a crisis that, if left unchecked, could undermine the trust upon which both markets and democracies depend.
Usoro’s concern is rooted in a rapidly evolving technological landscape where the line between truth and falsehood is becoming dangerously blurred. He spoke specifically about the ways in which artificial intelligence is now being used to generate fabricated audio recordings, manipulate videos, and circulate misleading reports that look and sound disturbingly real. The implications are profound: if citizens can no longer trust their own eyes and ears, then the very concept of a shared public truth is at risk. In his remarks, Usoro expressed particular worry about the growing difficulty ordinary Nigerians face in trying to sort credible information from deliberate falsehoods. What was once a problem of biased reporting or exaggerated headlines has now become a problem of outright technological deception. Deepfake technology, which can place a person’s face and voice into scenarios that never happened, is no longer the stuff of science fiction. It is being weaponized in real time to manipulate public opinion, settle scores, and create chaos. Usoro noted with a sense of urgency that misinformation has extended well beyond political campaigns. It has become a tool for damaging reputations, undermining businesses, discrediting competitors, and generating social tension. In his own words, “People use false information to de-market their political opponents, competitors’ products and services, as well as create tension in the polity.” This is not just a media problem; it is an economic and social disease that, left untreated, can corrupt the entire system of public discourse.
The political dimension of Usoro’s warning is especially significant because of the approaching 2027 general elections. He cautioned that the consequences of unchecked misinformation could be far-reaching, ranging from the erosion of public trust to the escalation of ethnic and religious tensions that have historically been flashpoints in Nigeria. But perhaps his most pointed concern was the manipulation of citizens’ democratic choices. In a democracy, elections are supposed to be the moment when the people exercise their sovereign will, but if that will is shaped by deepfake videos and coordinated online disinformation campaigns, then the result is not democracy at all. It is a kind of manufactured consent, engineered in the shadows by those who have learned to exploit the vulnerabilities of digital communication. Usoro warned that public confidence in political leaders and democratic institutions is already fragile, and the continued spread of synthetic media designed to deceive could break that confidence entirely. When voters cannot distinguish between a genuine statement from a candidate and a fabricated one designed to destroy that candidate, the entire electoral process becomes a house of cards. He was not merely predicting future harm; he was describing a present reality that is quietly preparing the ground for a crisis of legitimacy in the 2027 cycle. His words carry particular weight because they come from a business leader who is not traditionally expected to speak on issues of national governance, yet finds himself compelled to defend the very conditions that allow businesses and societies to function.
On the business side, Usoro did not limit himself to abstract warnings. He shared his own company’s experience with the destructive power of misinformation, revealing that Miden Systems Limited and its executives had been targeted in what he described as the damaging effects of false information. The ordeal, according to Usoro, followed a financial dispute with a commercial bank, and the company found itself at the center of fabricated narratives designed to tarnish its reputation and undermine its operations. This personal testimony brought the issue home in a way that statistics and academic studies often cannot. It demonstrated that misinformation is not just a political weapon; it is also a commercial weapon, capable of inflicting severe damage on businesses that are caught in the crosshairs of bad actors. A false story, once released into the viral ecosystem of social media, can travel around the world before the truth has even had time to put on its shoes. Reputations that took decades to build can be destroyed in a single afternoon by a manipulated video or a maliciously doctored narrative. For companies, the consequences can include lost customers, damaged partnerships, and a permanent cloud of suspicion that is nearly impossible to lift. Usoro’s willingness to speak openly about his company’s experience was itself an act of courage, as many executives choose to remain silent about such attacks in the hope of avoiding further attention. But by sharing his story, he underscored the urgent need for a collective response to a threat that does not discriminate between a political candidate, a corporation, or an ordinary citizen.
In offering a way forward, Usoro called for coordinated action that involves multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, media organizations, technology companies, and citizens themselves. He urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for the information they share, especially sensational messages, photographs, and videos that circulate on social media. A moment of pause, he suggested, could be the difference between being a responsible citizen and an unwitting accomplice to disinformation. He specifically recommended the use of independent fact-checking organizations such as Dubawa, which exist to verify the authenticity of reports before they are disseminated to the public. Verification should become a habit, not an afterthought. At the same time, Usoro advocated for improved training for journalists and fact-checkers, as well as wider access to AI-assisted verification tools that can help identify and debunk false information more effectively. Journalists, he argued, need to be equipped with the skills and resources to navigate a digital landscape in which deception is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Technology companies and regulatory agencies, including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), must also strengthen their collaboration to combat malicious synthetic media. This is not a matter of one organization acting alone; it is a matter of building an ecosystem of trust that is resilient enough to withstand the attacks of those who seek to profit from confusion.
Yet even as Usoro called for vigorous action, he was careful to strike a balance. He cautioned that efforts to combat misinformation must not undermine press freedom, freedom of expression, or the right to legitimate criticism. In a country where the media has historically had to fight for its independence, the cure for misinformation cannot be state censorship or the suppression of inconvenient voices. The solution, Usoro insisted, must be rooted in transparency, education, and cooperation, not in the heavy hand of regulation that silences dissent. He reaffirmed his own company’s commitment to ethical business dealings, stressing that Miden Systems Limited remains dedicated to maintaining transparency and integrity in its operations both in Nigeria and internationally. His message was ultimately one of hope tempered by realism: the threat of AI-driven misinformation is real and growing, but it is not invincible. If Nigerians across all sectors of society come together, if citizens make the conscious choice to verify before sharing, if journalists are trained and equipped for the digital age, and if tech companies and regulators work in genuine partnership, then the integrity of the information ecosystem can be preserved. Usoro left the summit with his award and his warning, but more importantly, he left a challenge for everyone watching. The 2027 elections are not that far away, and the systems that protect democratic integrity are already under pressure. The question is whether Nigeria will rise to meet the moment, or allow the machinery of misinformation to undermine its future. For Usoro, the answer would seem obvious: the time to act is now, and the responsibility belongs to all of us.