‘Education alone isn’t enough, media literacy is important’ — Information Minister
By Kunle Sanni
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has taken Nigeria’s national media and information literacy campaign to secondary schools, emphasizing the need to equip young people with critical thinking skills to navigate today’s digital information landscape.
Addressing students at the TEDxNTICAbujaYouth 2025 event held on Saturday at the Nigerian Tulip International College, Abuja, Idris highlighted the growing influence of social media on youth and the urgent challenge of curbing the spread of fake news, disinformation, and misinformation.
“As someone in the communication business, I’m passionate about how people share stories and connect globally through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and X. But with these advances come challenges — communication can now be used negatively,” Idris said. “The digital age has brought with it the era of fake news and disinformation.”
Speaking on the event’s theme, “Passion,” the Minister shared his personal journey, recounting his early dream of becoming a broadcaster. Fresh out of secondary school, he had convinced his father to help secure a broadcasting job, but an uncle’s advice led him first to pursue a university education.
“What seemed like a setback shaped my journey,” Idris reflected. “Today, I am Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation — not just a broadcaster, but the government’s chief spokesman. That dream I once feared was lost eventually came full circle.”
Idris, who once owned a radio and television station and a newspaper company, encouraged the students to pursue their passions with determination, noting that success often requires patience and resilience.
He linked this same passion to his current fight against the spread of disinformation, underscoring the importance of media and information literacy as a tool to build a more informed and responsible society.
Idris also announced that Nigeria will soon host the UNESCO Category 2 Media and Information Literacy Institute — the first of its kind globally — which is set to open in Abuja in November, pending UNESCO’s final approval. The institute will train participants from Nigeria and other countries to effectively navigate digital platforms and combat misinformation.
