The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, has asked member countries under UNESCO and stakeholders in Media and Information Literacy around the globe to support the Country’s effort at establishing a UNESCO, Category -2 International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria.
Represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Sunday Baba, at the Ministerial Panel Session organized as part of activities of the Opening Ceremonies of the 13th Edition of the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, today, 30th October 2024, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Minister outlined the numerous efforts being made by the Nigeria government to advance Media and Information Literacy (MIL) initiatives in the country and the world.
He explained that Nigeria was instrumental to the birth of the current celebration of Global Media and Information Literacy Week when it hosted the 1st edition of the UNESCO Media and Information Global Alliance in 2003 which metamorphosed into GMIL Week, as well as other initiatives, which included the proposed partnership with UNESCO to establish a Category 2 institute at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja. He therefore called for the support of member states, UNESCO, and partners to support the efforts of the Nigerian Government.
Earlier, UNESCO’s Assistant Director General, Communication and Information, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, in his opening remarks explained that the world currently faces a complex reality, where truth coexists side by side with lies and misinformation and that Media and Information Literacy (MIL) has been identified as a potent tool to combat misinformation in all its forms.
Other Speakers at the event included Princess Rym Ali, a member of the Royal family of the Kingdom of Jordan and Founder of the Jordan Media Institute, the Government Spokesperson of the Jordanian Ministry of Government Communication, Dr. Mohammed Al-Minai, Ministers from other countries.
The Nigerian delegation led by Dr. Sunday Baba, also has among others; Prof. Olufemi Peters, Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, other Academics from the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMIL), Nigerian Delegation to UNESCO, and other Government Officials.
It is worth noting that this year’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week, with the theme “New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information” organized by UNESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is being attended by participants from across the globe and it will end on October 31st, 2024, with the adoption of the Amman Declaration by participants.
Signed
Okereke Ifeanyi
Deputy Director, UNESCO, FMI&NO.
