Facebook and COVID-19 misinformation: Perception of residents of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

The concerns over COVID-19 misinformation on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook have attracted scholarly interrogations worldwide, particularly on the use of its platform to peddle lies and share falsehoods about the pandemic. Hence, the study examined Facebook and COVID-19 misinformation: Perception of residents of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. The work was guided by three research objectives and hinged on conspiracy theory. It employed a survey research design and a questionnaire for data collection. The population of the study was 4,200,400 while the sample size was 385 purposively selected and with 377 returned valid and analysed. Findings show that Facebook has been used to spread misinformation about COVID-19 and to a reasonable extent too. Further findings reveal that false information about COVID-19 on Facebook has compromised preventive actions. It, however, concluded that the menace could be curbed using multiple ways such as sourcing information from reliable Facebook accounts such as from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); monitoring and removing COVID-19 misinformation as well as using verifiable testimonials of survivors on Facebook, including encouraging stakeholders in the health sector to increase their campaigns. Consequently, the paper recommends that Facebook users need always make critical judgments regarding the information they post concerning the virus. It also recommends that there should be intensive campaigns by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant health institutions and governments across the globe on the need to sensitize people to desist from spreading misinformation on COVID-19.