Muhammed Idris
Picnews
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, has urged Nigerians to join forces against foreign interests seeking to undermine the nation’s unity. He emphasized the need for a united front to protect the country’s image from false narratives and contrived misinformation. The minister made this call when he received a delegation from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) led by its Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, on a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Idris stressed that Nigerians have a collective responsibility to project the truth and safeguard the nation’s image, noting that misinformation can divide nations. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing media and information literacy as a tool for promoting truth, unity, and national development. The minister emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in addressing the spread of fake news and misinformation, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of false narratives on national unity, peace, and Nigeria’s image.
The Minister praised NOUN’s excellence in open distance learning and its commitment to hosting the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI). He expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with NOUN, UNESCO, and the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure Nigeria’s successful ratification and recognition of IMILI at the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Institute’s objective is to promote responsible media practices and strengthen Nigeria’s global standing in information literacy as a leading voice in information integrity.
NOUN Vice Chancellor Professor Olufemi Peters expressed gratitude to the Minister and the Federal Government for entrusting the university with hosting IMILI and acknowledged the Minister’s support and the government’s provision of a ₦250 million grant to facilitate the Institute’s development. He pledged NOUN’s full commitment to the success and international recognition of IMILI, stating that the Institute would strengthen Nigeria’s leadership in global media education. Professor Peters guaranteed NOUN’s institutional capacity, digital infrastructure, and academic expertise to sustain the Institute, with structures already in place to ensure its autonomy and international relevance.
The establishment of IMILI positions Nigeria as a leading voice in media and information literacy across Africa, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which promotes integrity, accountability, and public enlightenment. The Institute’s recognition would further enhance Nigeria’s reputation in education and media literacy, and NOUN is fully prepared for the global accreditation of IMILI as a UNESCO Category Two Institute.
