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Information Minister Urges Content Creators to Put Nigeria First, Moderate Negative Narratives

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Press Release
Information Minister Urges Content Creators to Put Nigeria First, Moderate Negative Narratives
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged the new generation of content creators and social media influencers to tone down negative rhetorics about Nigeria and prioritize the nation‘s interests by upholding the highest ethical standards in the expression and delivery of their crafts.

Idris made the remarks in Abuja on Friday on the occasion of the celebration of the National Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024 with the theme “New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information” organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in collaboration with the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, Open University of Nigeria.

“At this juncture, let me also say that I made remarks only recently that if we want Nigeria to grow, we cannot emphasise always on the negatives. It is important that we criticize and hold government and other leaders to account because that is the role of the media and we cannot take that away. But it is also critical that in reporting, we prioritize national interest.

“I repeat, we cannot expect to grow and having people to come and invest in our country when all we push out all the time is negative. There are lots of positive information coming out of Nigeria and it is our duty to be patriotic when reporting so that Nigeria can reach its desired destination of prosperity that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu talks about,” he said.

The Minister condemned the proliferation of fake news on social media, warning that, if not curbed, it poses an existential threat to the unity, peace, and development of the country.

“As we embrace the digital revolution, we must acknowledge its transformative impact on how information is created, shared, and consumed. The rise of social media, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), online platforms and the new generation of digital content creators has democratized information flow, allowing voices from all corners of society to be heard. Literally, anyone with a laptop or an android phone has become a potential news creator, capable of reaching large number of people. However, this digital landscape with its limitless opportunities also poses serious challenges, especially with the spread of misinformation and disinformation, whether created by humans or generated by Artificial Intelligence. We must really work hard and think out of the box to find creative way out of this menace,” he said.
Idris, however, hailed UNESCO for championing the global initiative to stem the tide of fake especially in Nigeria through the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in the country.

He stated that misinformation and disinformation are not unique to Nigeria but represent a global menace that requires collective responsibility to sanitize social media and establish an information channel free from fake news.

“It is therefore in recognition of the role of Media and Information Literacy as an enabler of inclusive public information dissemination that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, undertook to fulfill the commitment made by the previous administration when Nigeria hosted the 11th edition of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week Feature Conference in 2022 to establish a UNESCO International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria.

“ I am glad to announce that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, working with the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Open University of Nigeria, is inches closer to actualizing this goal.

In the coming weeks, we are expecting a team of independent experts from UNESCO in Nigeria to assess the level of our preparedness and compliance to the institute becoming a UNESCO category 2 Institute. It is our conviction that given the level of commitment and interest shown by Mr. President and the entire team working on the project, we will succeed,” he said.
Idris said when it kicks off, institute will offer programmes and courses that equip Nigerians, Africans, and people worldwide with requisite skills to understand the changing landscape of digital communication and how to navigate it safely.

In his remarks, UNESCO Representative to Nigeria, Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo, said UNESCO brought together experts and academia of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and formed a coalition aimed at facilitating the coordination of interventions on MIL in Nigeria, promote synergy amongst stakeholders toward advocacies on National Policies, Integration of MIL into school’s curriculum, and promotion of MIL literacy society.
“UNESCO understands the importance of mainstreaming MIL into the educational system which it has done over the years.

This includes mainstreaming the MIL curriculum into the curriculum of Colleges of Education, building the capacities of Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council curriculum experts in preparation for the recent National Curriculum Review, to increase their understanding on all forms and processes of MIL and participatorily identify the best strategy for reflecting MIL in the various elements of the curriculum. We also work with teachers at states level towards ensuring they are equipped to mainstream MIL into their lesson notes and teach this in the classroom,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Olufemi Peters, thanked the Minister for his support for the institution towards consolidating the activities of the International Media and Literacy Institute, which is domiciled in the university.

Rabiu Ibrahim
Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
October 24, 2024

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Nigerian govt drops treason charges against EndBadGovernance protesters

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Nigerian govt drops treason charges against EndBadGovernance protesters
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Nigerian govt drops treason charges against EndBadGovernance protesters

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the treason charges brought against the #Endbadgovernance# movement by the Inspector General of Police.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu dismissed the charges on Tuesday after they were withdrawn by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, on behalf of the federal government.

Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), M.D. Abubakar, had announced during the proceedings the exercise of his powers under Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution to take over the case from the Inspector General of Police.

Upon the court granting the request, the AGF then invoked the same section of the Constitution to discontinue the trial of the 150 accused persons.

With no objections from the various lawyers representing the accused persons, Justice Egwuatu granted the request and struck out the charges.

Although the accused persons were not in court, the judge ordered their immediate release from prison remand.

President Bola Tinubu had on Monday directed the AGF to terminate the charges against the accused persons, most of whom are reportedly minors and legally exempt from such trials.

Details later.

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Uche Ogbodo Bemoans Devastating Burglary: Thieves Make Off with Over N50 Million Worth of Goods

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Uche Ogbodo Bemoans Devastating Burglary: Thieves Make Off with Over N50 Million Worth of Goods
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Uche Ogbodo Bemoans Devastating Burglary: Thieves Make Off with Over N50 Million Worth of Goods

Nigerian actress and entrepreneur Uche Ogbodo has been left reeling after her shop was targeted by thieves, resulting in a staggering loss of over N50 million.

In an emotional Instagram video, Uche revealed the shocking aftermath of the break-in, showcasing the hole cut through her shop’s ceiling.

The thieves made off with a substantial amount of merchandise, primarily men’s items.

Uche expressed frustration and despair, questioning the effectiveness of her shop’s security measures.

Photo source: Instagram

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Spain dreads more flood deaths as more rain expected

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Spanish rescuers plunged into inundated garages to find bodies on Monday, a day after furious crowds heckled and hurled mud at the king and the prime minister following devastating floods.

The toll stands at 217 dead — almost all in the eastern Valencia region — and Spain dreaded the discovery of more corpses in its worst such disaster in decades.

National weather service AEMET announced the end of the emergency for Valencia but placed part of the northeastern Catalonia region on the highest red alert for torrential rain on Monday.

Catalan trains were suspended until further notice, Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced on X, while flights were delayed and diverted at Barcelona’s El Prat airport.

The country grappled with the aftermath of an extraordinary outburst of popular anger directed at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The Civil Guard has opened an investigation into the chaos in the ground-zero town of Paiporta that cut short their visit on Sunday, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told public broadcaster TVE.

He blamed “marginal groups” for instigating the violence where mud spattered the monarchs’ face and clothes and broke a window of Sanchez’s car.

Organising the visit was “a collective mistake” as fringe groups hijacked raw emotions to endanger the royals, Sanchez and Valencia region leader Carlos Mazon, Puente told television channel La Sexta on Sunday.

The incident underscored growing anger at the authorities’ preparation for and response to the catastrophe.

Experts have questioned the warning systems that failed to alert the population in time and the speed of the response.

– ‘We were abandoned’ –

Thousands of soldiers, police officers, civil guards and firefighters spent a sixth day distributing aid and clearing mud and debris to find bodies.

But relief works only reached some towns days after the disaster and in many cases volunteers were the first to provide food, water, sanitation and cleaning equipment.

“We shouldn’t romanticise it: the people saved the people because we were abandoned,” said Jorge, a resident of the town of Chiva where the royals cancelled their visit on Sunday.

The applause should be for the volunteers, not “those who come just to take a picture and show off”, the 25-year-old told AFP.

Divers on Monday concentrated their search for missing bodies in garages and a multi-storey car park in the town of Aldaia capable of holding thousands of vehicles.

The storm caught many victims in their vehicles on roads and in underground spaces such as car parks, tunnels and garages where rescue operations are particularly difficult.

Local authorities extended travel restrictions for another two days to facilitate the work of the emergency services, cancelled classes in Valencia and urged citizens to work from home.

Storms coming off the Mediterranean are common for the season. But scientists have warned human-induced climate change is increasing the ferocity, length and frequency of extreme weather events.

“Politicians haven’t acted on climate change, and now we’re paying the consequences of their inaction,” environmental activist Emi, 21, told AFP in Chiva.

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