The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has sounded the alarm over the growing threat of misinformation, urging public officials to equip themselves with strong media and information literacy skills to guard against fake news, bias, and disinformation.
Addressing participants at the second Spokespersons Summit in Abuja, jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Minister noted that in today’s fast-paced media environment, everyone — from communications professionals to top executives — plays the role of a spokesperson.
“Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to seize the opportunity of this summit of fellow professionals to draw our attention to the need to brace up and embrace what is called Information and Media Literacy, a composite concept first adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2008, and which combines the competencies of information literacy and media literacy.”;
He stressed that the ability to critically process media content is no longer a luxury, but a critical necessity.
“Today, in a world where everyone is a spokesperson – whether a PR practitioner or a chief executive in the public and private spaces, the imperative for media literacy becomes ever more paramount, as it equips individuals with the tools to decipher, analyse and evaluate messages conveyed through various media channels, enabling the latitude to make informed decisions and engage with media content responsibly.”
“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 said in a statement by Special Assistant to the Minister of information and national orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim.
Idris explained that media literacy equips spokespersons to detect bias, verify facts, and assess sources critically. According to him, this capability is vital for promoting informed public discourse and responsible communication.
He revealed that the Ministry is close to launching the world’s first UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute, which will be hosted at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja.
“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.
Highlighting a key achievement, Idris noted the formal recognition of Public Relations as an independent cadre 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, what used to be known as the Information Officer Cadre has now been re-designated to ‘Information and Public Relations Officer Cadre’, and ‘Executive Officer (Information and Public Relations)’. Let me add that the NIPR was a key advocate in achieving this enhanced recognition that Public Relations now enjoys within the Federal Civil Service,”; he said.
He reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s support for free speech and creative expression, addin, “On our part we will continue to work to broaden our nation’s vibrant media ecosystem, and grow the economic and investment opportunities within it,”; he said.
The Minister also applauded NIPR President Dr. Ike Neliaku for launching the “Information Ministerial Clinic”; — a special feature of this year’s summit, where past Ministers of Information share lessons from their time in office.
Former ministers including Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief John Nwodo, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr., Labaran Maku, and Lai Mohammed participated in the opening session of the clinic.
