Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
The Federal Government has commended the 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN) for its excellence in promoting Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and commitment to hosting the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), due for certification in November 2025, at the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this when he received a delegation from the 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, in Abuja on Tuesday, on a courtesy visit.
He said: 鈥淚MILI is not only an educational initiative but also a strategic national investment in truth, literacy and civic enlightenment, and that is why the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is committed to working with NOUN, UNESCO, and the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure Nigeria鈥檚 successful ratification and recognition of IMILI at the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, next month.”
He added that the IMLI objective is to promote responsible media practices and strengthen Nigeria鈥檚 global standing in information literacy as a leading voice in information integrity.
pix L-R: Minister in a friendly handshake with Prof. Peters (VC-NOUN)
The establishment of IMILI, he said, 鈥渘ot only positions Nigeria as a leading voice in media and information literacy across Africa, but the grand initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu鈥檚 Renewed Hope Agenda, which promotes integrity, accountability, and public enlightenment.鈥
Idris also called on Nigerians to unite against efforts by foreign interests to undermine the nation’s unity, saying a united front is required to protect the country’s image against false narratives and contrived misinformation.
He said: 鈥淣igerians should join hands together, collectively, to stop fake narratives about our country. We all have a responsibility to project the truth and protect Nigeria鈥檚 image.
“Misinformation has the capacity to divide nations, and we must not allow that to happen to ours.”
Idris reaffirmed Nigeria鈥檚 commitment to advancing media and information literacy as a tool for promoting truth, unity, and national development.
He emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in addressing the spread of fake news and misinformation, noting that false narratives have far-reaching consequences on national unity, peace, and Nigeria鈥檚 image.
In his remarks, Professor Peters expressed the university鈥檚 profound gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation for entrusting the university with the responsibility of hosting IMILI and acknowledged the minister鈥檚 support and the Federal Government鈥檚 provision of a 鈧250 million grant to facilitate the institute鈥檚 development.
He described the institute as capable of strengthening Nigeria鈥檚 leadership in global media education and pledged the full commitment of the NOUN to the success and international recognition of IMILI.
鈥淣OUN is fully prepared for the global accreditation of IMILI as a UNESCO Category Two Institute, and this recognition will further enhance Nigeria鈥檚 reputation in education and media literacy,鈥 said Peters.
He also guaranteed NOUN鈥檚 institutional capacity, digital infrastructure, and academic expertise to sustain the institute, with structures already in place to ensure its autonomy and international relevance.