Fake news: FG calls for media literacy to tackle misinformation in Nigeria

The Federal Government on Tuesday called on Nigerians particularly public office holders to equip themselves with media and information literacy in order to avoid being misinformed.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who spoke at the second Spokespersons Summit organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, lamented that several Nigerians are being swayed by falsehoods and biased narratives due to lack of media and information literacy.

The minister stated that in today’s media-saturated world the ability to analyze, decipher and evaluate information is no longer optional.

“Lately, due in effect to the lack of media literacy, the inability to analyse and contextualize media content in order to verify authenticity, public officers, and indeed the general public, have become prone to the cankerworm of fake news, misinformation and disinformation,”; he lamented.

He said in an effort to provide a platform to impart media and information literacy to Nigerians, especially spokespersons and public officials, his ministry has reached an advanced stage towards the take-off of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO Media Information Literacy, MIL Institute in the country.

According to him, the institute will be sited in the precincts of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, in the nation's capital.

“In fact, I have just returned from Paris, France where I held a meeting with senior UNESCO officials, in which the impending take-off of the Institute featured prominently,”; he stated.

“As part of my efforts to deepen professional practice and improve the quality of engagement in the delivery of public communication, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, last year, succeeded in the caderisation of Public Relations in the Federal Civil Service.

“What this means is that Public Relations has now been designated as a standalone cadre in the Federal Civil Service, with effect from December 2023, and that,” the minister added.

DAILY POST reports that the event, which was organized in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, had several dignitaries in attendance.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Mr Lai Mohammed and some other former ministers and serving lawmakers graced the event.