The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has approved the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Abuja, Nigeria, as a UNESCO Category 2 Institute, the first of its kind in the world.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Rabiu Ibrahim, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, it was revealed that UNESCO granted this significant approval during the 43rd General Conference of the Communication and Information Sector held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The Institute will be headquartered at the Abuja campus of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Ibrahim said: “With this approval, Nigeria now becomes a global leader in the fight against the spread of fake news on social media, with the capacity to steer research, policy discussions, and capacity building in this very important modern field.”
In a speech delivered by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, at the UNESCO conference, he described this development as “a mark of confidence in and respect for our country.”
He assured that Nigeria would take this responsibility with utmost seriousness, stating that the institute would become a global hub for research and education to help citizens and societies navigate the digital world wisely and confidently.
The Minister said: “The Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to building a society where freedom of expression is seen as a pillar of national development.
“A central pillar of this policy is providing universal access to modern technology, with media and information literacy as a cornerstone of progress.”
He explained that this success follows a long journey that began in October 2022, when Nigeria hosted the 10th Global Media and Information Literacy Week in Abuja and committed to establishing such a UNESCO institute in the country.
He said: “I use this opportunity to congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this success, which reflects his determination to see the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda achieved. This is a victory not just for Nigeria, but for the entire African continent.”
The Minister assured that the Federal Government will continue to work with UNESCO to meet the institute's requirements regarding infrastructure development and the provision of expert professionals from various fields to ensure the success of this project.
He also stated that the inauguration ceremony for the institute will take place in February 2026 in Abuja, with the participation of UNESCO officials, representatives from member states, and partners from various parts of the world.
The delegation that attended the 43rd UNESCO General Conference to witness the approval granted to the Nigerian International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI) as a UNESCO Category 2 Institute included the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Engineer Kenneth Eze; the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information, Ethics and Values, Hon. Olusola Fatoba; the Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama, who represented the Minister of Information and National Orientation; the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Alhaji Abdulhamid Salihu Dembos; the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo; the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Alhaji Jibrin Baba Ndace; and the Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani, along with other Nigerian government officials.