President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of funds required for the immediate operationalisation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute.

A statement from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that President Tinubu has been very supportive of the take-off process, and has approved the release of all funds required for the immediate operationalisation of the Institute, which will be located in Abuja.

Idris stated this in Paris on Thursday during a meeting with the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, on the sidelines of President Tinubu’s State Visit to France.

Recalling his previous meeting with Dr. Jelassi, in 2023, the Minister conveyed Nigeria’s gratitude to UNESCO for the honour of hosting a Category 2 MIL Institute, the only one of its kind in the world.

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In response, Dr Jelassi expressed enthusiasm for the take-off of the Institute in Nigeria, emphasising its relevance in addressing the global challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.

He also highlighted the importance of fostering a safer and more reliable internet, which aligns with UNESCO’s key priorities.

He explained that the goal of UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms is to promote critical thinking and platform transparency, whilst also safeguarding freedom of expression.