President Bola Tinubu has approved the funds required for the immediate operations of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said.
Idris was quoted to have spoken during a meeting with the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, on the sidelines of President Tinubu’s State Visit to France in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
UNESCO had awarded the hosting rights of the Category 2 MIL Institute, the only one of its kind in the world to Nigeria.
The Minister said Tinubu has been supporting the take-off process, and has approved the release of all funds required for the immediate operation of the Institute, which is to be sited in the Federal Capital Territory.
While welcoming the initiative, Idris pledged to ensure that Nigeria takes prompt advantage of it, and presents a city that will be among the world’s inaugural set of MIL Cities.
The Minister also conveyed Nigeria’s gratitude to UNESCO for the honour of hosting a Category 2 MIL Institute, the only one of its kind in the world.
In response, Dr. Jelassi expressed enthusiasm for the take-off of the Institute in Nigeria, emphasizing its relevance in addressing the global challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. He also highlighted the importance of fostering a safer and more reliable internet, which aligns with UNESCO’s key priorities.
Dr. Jelassi said the UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms is to promote critical thinking and platform transparency, whilst also safeguarding freedom of expression.
Also, the Assistant Director-General told the Minister about the UNESCO MIL Cities initiative, which seeks to integrate and embed the concept of Media and Information Literacy into the design and daily operations of cities around the world, including transport systems, community activities, culture, billboards, and so on.
They discussed UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, published in 2023 following a multi-stakeholder consultation that assembled over 10,000 submissions from 134 countries.
Dr. Jelassi presented copies of the document to Minister Idris, who assured that Nigeria will work with all relevant stakeholders to domesticate the guidelines and ensure a safer and more responsible internet for all Nigerians.
