Nigeria seeks global support for UNESCO-backed MIL institute

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on UNESCO member countries and global stakeholders in Media and Information Literacy (MIL) to support Nigeria’s bid to establish a UNESCO Category-2 International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Abuja.

Represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Sunday Baba, Minister Idris shared this appeal during the Ministerial Panel at the 13th Global Media and Information Literacy (GMIL) Week, held in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

In his address, the minister highlighted Nigeria’s continued efforts to enhance Media and Information Literacy initiatives both within the country and internationally.

Okereke Ifeanyi, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, noted in a statement that Nigeria played a significant role in the inception of GMIL Week, hosting the first UNESCO Media and Information Global Alliance in 2003.

This event has since evolved into the current GMIL Week. The minister also emphasized Nigeria’s potential partnership with UNESCO to establish the proposed MIL institute at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, a project that aims to foster research, education, and global cooperation on media literacy.

The proposed institute would serve as a hub for advancing media and information literacy in Africa, equipping citizens with the skills to navigate the complex digital landscape.

“Nigeria is committed to empowering its citizens and the broader African community with the knowledge needed to counter misinformation,” the minister stated, calling for collective support from UNESCO member states and other international partners.

UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, underscored the importance of media literacy in today’s information-rich world, where truth and misinformation often intersect.

“Media and Information Literacy is a powerful tool against misinformation in all its forms,” Jelassi said, stressing UNESCO’s dedication to fostering resilience through informed and media-literate societies.

The Nigerian delegation to the event, led by Dr. Sunday Baba, included Professor Olufemi Peters, Vice Chancellor of NOUN, alongside other academics from the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Nigerian representatives to UNESCO, and government officials.

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