The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has warned that public officials without media and information literacy are increasingly at risk of falling prey to fake news, misinformation, and disinformation.
Speaking at the Second Spokespersons Summit held in Abuja on Tuesday, Idris emphasized the urgent need for public officers to be properly equipped with media literacy skills in order to evaluate and navigate the flood of information in today’s digital age.
The event, jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, brought together communication professionals and stakeholders from across the country.
“In today’s world, everyone—from PR practitioners to chief executives—is a spokesperson,” the Minister said.
“This makes it imperative to develop the capacity to decipher, analyze, and evaluate media messages to make informed decisions.”
He traced the concept of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) to UNESCO, which first adopted it in 2008 as a framework that combines both media and information literacy.
Idris warned that without such literacy, both public officials and citizens become vulnerable to manipulation, propaganda, and false narratives.
“To address this, we are at an advanced stage in establishing the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Institute, which will be the first of its kind globally,” he announced. The institute will be hosted at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja.
According to the Minister, he recently returned from Paris, where he discussed the project with senior UNESCO officials.
Highlighting another milestone, Idris revealed that the Ministry had successfully pushed for the formal recognition of Public Relations as a standalone cadre in the Federal Civil Service.
As of December 2023, the former ‘Information Officer Cadre’ has been reclassified as the ‘Information and Public Relations Officer Cadre’ and ‘Executive Officer (Information and Public Relations).’
“This recognition enhances professionalism and ensures higher-quality engagement in public communication. We commend the NIPR for its role in achieving this,” he said.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Tinubu administration to press freedom and responsible expression, Idris stated: “We will continue to strengthen Nigeria’s vibrant media landscape and unlock its economic potential.”
He also praised the NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, for introducing a new segment to the summit—an “Information Ministerial Clinic,” which featured former Ministers of Information sharing insights from their time in office.
The session was attended by notable past Ministers including Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief John Nwodo, Frank Nweke Jr., Labaran Maku, and Lai Mohammed.
