Hosting UNESCO Confab Will Boost Campaign Against Fake News, Misinformation – Minister
By AKIN TORIOLA
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said
the 2022 Global Media and Information Literacy (GMIL) Week, which
Nigeria is due to host in Abuja from Oct. 24th to 31st, will give a
boost to the Government’s ongoing campaign against fake news,
misinformation and hate speech.
The Minister stated this in Abuja on Friday when he inaugurated the
25-member Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event
”Hosting the 2022 GMIL will go a long way to address the growing
trend of fake news, misinformation and hate speech, thus enhancing the
campaign we launched in 2018 against these practices,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the decision to give Nigeria the hosting right is
a testament to the fact that the country is a known strong advocate of
Media and Information Literacy (MIL).
”In 2013, Nigeria successfully hosted the First Global Forum for
Partnership on MIL, tagged Abuja 2013. This
Forum gave birth to the UNESCO MIL Alliance as well as other
initiatives, as part of our collective desire to achieve the Media and
Information Literacy for all and by all. Nigeria’s contributions
towards the birth and the growth of MIL, especially in the West
African Sub-Region, played a large role in UNESCO’s decision to offer
our country the right to host this event,” he said.
The Minister charged the LOC members, who are drawn from the public
and private sectors, academia, media and civil society, among others,
to use their wealth of experience to organize a successful event,
saying nothing less is expected from such a high-calibre committee.
”Since we agreed to host the 11th edition of the Global Media and
Information Literacy Week, we have been working with the UNESCO
Secretariat, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja and other stakeholders to
host the world to a befitting and memorable event. A critical aspect
of this preparation is the choice of the theme and the development of
the Concept Note. Permit me to inform you that both have successfully
been concluded.
”Accordingly, the theme of this year’s Global Media and Information
Literacy, which has been duly approved by UNESCO, is: ‘Nurturing
Trust: A Media and Information Literacy Imperative.’ The theme
highlights how Media and Information Literacy (MIL) helps with
nurturing trust and countering mistrust,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed, who used the occasion to unveil the MIL Week Logo,
said the 2022 GMIL will witness participants from the over 193 UNESCO
member countries attending both physically and virtually.
He said the LOC will be assisted by nine sub-committees: Venue and
Accommodation; Finance; Sponsorship and Marketing; Media and
Publicity; Protocol and Security; Transport and Logistics;
Entertainment and Ceremonial; Technical and Mobilization as well as
Secretariat.
The Minister thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for graciously
approving the hosting of the event and also for accepting to declare
open the High-level session, while also commending Nigeria’s Permanent
Delegate to
UNESCO, Dr. Hajio Sani; the Assistant Director General, Communication
and Information, UNESCO Headquarters, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, and the
Ministry’s team for their efforts to ensure a successful GMIL.
The LOC will be chaired by the Minister of Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry,
Dr. Adaora Ifeoma Anyawutaku, will serve as the Vice Chair.
Members include representatives of the Ministers of Communication and
Digital Economy; Education as well as Foreign Affairs;
Ambassador/Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani; Acting
Regional Director, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja; The Special
Assistants to the President, Office of the Minister of Information and
Culture, Mr. Segun Adeyemi and Mr. Williams Adeleye; Director
Overseeing Public Communication and National Orientation in the
Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), Mr Sunday Baba;
Director, Finance and Accounts, FMIC, Dr. Kayode Musbau and
Director-General, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Dr.
Olalekan Fadolapo.
Others are Directors-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria and the National Broadcasting Commission, Dr. Mansur Liman and
Mr. Balarabe Shehu Ilelah respectively; Acting DG of NTA, Mr. Salihu
Dembos;
National Librarian/CEO, National Library of Nigeria, Prof. Chinwe
Victoria Anunobi; Secretary General, NATCOM UNESCO, Mr. Idowu
Olagunju; Representatives of the Comptroller General, Nigeria Custom
Service, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Association
of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria and Association of Licensed
Telecoms Operators of Nigeria; Executive Director, African Center for
Media and Information (AFRICMIL), representing Civil Society, Dr.
Chidoh Onumah; Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication,
University of Lagos, Dr. Suraj Olunifesi; Secretary, Media and
Information Literacy Coalition of Nigeria, representing the Youth, Mr.
David Osaghe and the Assistant Director (Bilateral/UNESCO), FMIC, Mr.
Ifeanyi Okereke,
