The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the well timed institution of a UNESCO Category 2 Institute for Media and Information Literacy, MIL, in Nigeria.
The minister acknowledged this throughout a bilateral assembly with the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, on Tuesday, on the sidelines of UNESCO’s forty second General Conference, in Paris, France.
Nigeria’s pledge to set up and host the Institute emerged from the 2022 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, hosted by Nigeria, in October 2022, in Abuja, and was endorsed by a Resolution of the 216th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board, in May 2023.
Also current on the Bilateral Meeting, which held on the UNESCO headquarters, was Nigeria’s Ambassador, Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani.
Affirming Nigeria’s commitment to the imaginative and prescient and beliefs of UNESCO, the Minister highlighted the truth that whereas the nation is making ready to step down from the Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication, IPDC, after six years on the Council, it’s on the identical time making a bid for election into the Intergovernmental Council of the Information for all Programme, IFAP.
Mr Idris expressed his dedication to be sure that Nigeria advantages from all current alternatives in the UNESCO Communications and Information Sector, together with the event of group radio, which is one of UNESCO’s ongoing priorities.
“I’m very pleased that my trip to Paris has been very productive, with this meeting. This is a sector that I am deeply passionate about,” the minister mentioned.
“I have always said that when I am done as Minister, I will be returning to the media space, which is my home. I therefore have a responsibility to make it better, and UNESCO will get my full support and cooperation.”
The minister disclosed his imaginative and prescient of restoring belief and credibility to authorities communications in Nigeria, whereas additionally kickstarting a nationwide dialog about Nigerian values and identification, as half of a nationwide reorientation marketing campaign, which he mentioned is a precedence for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.
Mr Idris expressed gratitude to Ambassador Hajo Sani for her diligent illustration of Nigeria’s pursuits at UNESCO, and the important thing position she performed in facilitating Nigeria’s internet hosting of the 2022 UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week, and the plans for Nigeria to host the primary UNESCO MIL Institute in the world.
Responding, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General, Dr. Jelassi, counseled Nigeria’s energetic participation in UNESCO, and pledged to proceed to help the nation to take full benefit of all alternatives for the event of its info and communication house.
He outlined UNESCO’s ongoing work in numerous areas, from selling press freedom all over the world, to supporting the event of group radio, and the continued work to harmonize nationwide efforts to battle misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
Mr Jelassi disclosed that UNESCO has simply launched a report titled, ‘Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms’, which emphasizes a multistakeholder method to safeguard freedom of expression and entry to info.
He additionally pressured the necessity for Nigeria to comply with up on the Abuja Declaration, describing it as a really important alternative for the nation.
Earlier, the minister had joined different members of the Nigerian delegation, together with the chief of the delegation, Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, who additionally doubles as President of Nigeria’s National Commission to UNESCO, to take part in the opening ceremony for the forty second session of the UNESCO General Conference.
