President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of funds required for the immediate operationalization of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute, whose hosting rights were awarded to Nigeria by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has announced.
Idris stated this in Paris on Thursday 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.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been very supportive of the take-off process, and has approved the release of all funds required for the immediate operationalisation of the Institute, which will be located in the Federal Capital Territory,” Idris said.
Recalling his previous meeting with Dr. Jelassi, in 2023, the Minister 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.
He explained that the goal of UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms is to promote critical thinking and platform transparency, whilst also safeguarding freedom of expression.
Additionally, the Assistant Director-General informed 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.
Minister Idris welcomed the initiative and 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.
Discussions also touched on 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.
Minister Idris was accompanied to the meeting held at the UNESCO Headquarters by Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani OON.