Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on media practitioners to take the lead in sanitizing the media space and reducing the impact of fake news.
The Minister made the appeal during a courtesy visit by the Country Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Abdourrahmane Diallo in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Idris said the media should regulate itself rather than depend on the government, which could be accused of muzzling the press.
“With each fake news, online media loses credibility more.”
He lauded UNESCO for its efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation and to develop global standards for regulating social media. He said this would help countries adopt best practices and respect press freedom.
The Minister also called for the promotion of community radio as part of UNESCO’s inclusive societies mandate adding that this would bridge the information gap and give citizens a voice.
He thanked UNESCO for approving the establishment of a category 2 international institute of information and media literacy in Nigeria and asked for support in its implementation.
Idris also congratulated UNESCO for opening a Nigeria office and urged them to use Nigeria as a hub of expertise for the African region.
Diallo had earlier congratulated Nigeria on its election into the executive board of UNESCO, describing it as a milestone and a recognition of Nigeria’s role among member states.
He promised to work with the ministry in media and information literacy, media independence and media inclusion.
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