Tinubu approves funds for UNESCO media literacy institute

President Bola Tinubu has approved funds for the immediate operationalisation of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute.

Mohammed Idris, information minister, made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting with Tawfik Jelassi, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) assistant director-general for communication and information.

The meeting held on the sidelines of Tinubu’s 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.

The minister thanked UNESCO for the honour of hosting a category 2 MIL institute, the only one of its kind in the world.

In response, Jelassi expressed enthusiasm for the take-off of the Institute in Nigeria, emphasising its relevance in addressing global challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.

He also highlighted the importance of fostering a safer and more reliable internet, which he said 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.

The assistant DG told Idris 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, and billboards.

Idris welcomed the initiative and pledged to ensure that Nigeria takes full advantage, and presents a city that will be among the world’s inaugural set of MIL cities.