Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, has implored online content creators to be mindful of the negative news they spread about Nigeria, and to uphold the highest ethical standards.
The Minister said this at the celebration of the 2024 National Global Media and Information Literacy Week, hosted in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in collaboration with the International Media and Information Literacy Institute of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Speaking at the event themed, ‘New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information,’ Idris noted that while it is the role of the media and citizens to criticise and hold the government accountable, they must avoid focusing on only the negatives.
“As we embrace the digital revolution, we must acknowledge its transformative impact on how information is created, shared, and consumed,” the Minister said, adding that “The rise of social media, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), online platforms and the new generation of digital content creators has democratised information flow, allowing voices from all corners of society to be heard. Anyone with a laptop or an Android phone has become a potential news creator, capable of reaching a large number of people.”
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation,
Minister to online content creators: Creation of fake-news-free Nigeria, a collective responsibility
“There are lots of positive information coming out of Nigeria,” the Minister said. “It is our duty to be patriotic when reporting so that Nigeria can reach its desired destination of prosperity that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu talks about.”
The spreading of negative and fake news, according to Idris, disrupts national unity and undermines national growth by discouraging investors from investing in the country.
“As we embrace the digital revolution, we must acknowledge its transformative impact on how information is created, shared, and consumed,” the Minister said, adding that “The rise of social media, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), online platforms and the new generation of digital content creators has democratised information flow, allowing voices from all corners of society to be heard. Anyone with a laptop or an Android phone has become a potential news creator, capable of reaching a large number of people.”
Going further, he emphasised that while the digital landscape creates numerous opportunities, it also brings various challenges. Among these challenges are the misinformation generated by both humans and Artificial intelligence.
At the same event, Idris commended the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for its role in championing the effort to combat misinformation, especially in Nigeria. He also praised UNESCO’s initiative to establish the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in the country, viewing this as a step toward addressing the challenges of fake news.
He noted that misinformation and disinformation are global concerns, making the sanitisation of social media and the creation of a fake-news-free channel a “collective responsibility.”
In recognising the role of the institute in information dissemination, the Information and National Orientation Minister expressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to fulfilling the previous administration’s ‘promise’ to establish the UNESCO International Media and Information Literacy Institute in the country.
This promise was made when Nigeria hosted the 11th Global Media and Information Literacy Week in 2022. According to the FMINO, the institute will be established by the Federal Government, through a partnership with the FMINO, the Ministry of Education and the National Open University, to support inclusive public information dissemination.
“In the coming weeks, we are expecting a team of independent experts from UNESCO in Nigeria to assess the level of our preparedness and compliance to the institute becoming a UNESCO Category 2 Institute,” he said.
“It is our conviction that given the level of commitment and interest shown by Mr. President and the entire team working on the project, we will succeed.”
In addition, Idris mentioned that the institute, upon its opening, will offer courses designed to equip people in Nigeria and across the globe with the skills needed to understand the changing landscape of digital communication and how to navigate it safely.
To achieve this, Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, UNESCO’s Representative to Nigeria, noted that UNESCO has formed a coalition of experts to coordinate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) efforts in Nigeria, support national policy advocacy, integrate MIL into school curricula at all levels, and promote a MIL literate society.
“UNESCO understands the importance of mainstreaming Media and Information Literacy (MIL) into the educational system,” Diallo said. “We also work with teachers at the state level to ensure they are equipped to mainstream MIL into their lesson notes and teach this in the classroom,” he added.
Prof. Olufemi Peters, the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, thanked the Minister for his support in strengthening the activities of the International Media and Literacy Institute at the university.
Home
