Nigeria has achieved a historic milestone as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has formally approved the designation of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMLI), Abuja, as a UNESCO Category 2 Institute, the first of its kind in the world.
The approval, granted during the 43rd General Conference of the UNESCO Communication and Information Commission (CI Session) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, positions Nigeria as a global leader in the fight against misinformation and disinformation. The institute will drive international research, policy dialogue, and capacity-building in media and information literacy — a critical skill for the digital age.
In his address at the conference, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the recognition as “a strong vote of confidence in our nation.”
He said Nigeria remains fully committed to its new role, noting that the Institute will serve as a global observatory and hub for promoting digital discernment and responsible information sharing.
“The Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to fostering a society where responsible free speech is seen as the engine of national progress,” Idris said. “A central pillar of our strategy is the democratisation of digital opportunities, with media and information literacy as the key driver.”
The Minister noted that the achievement culminates a long journey that began in October 2022, when Nigeria hosted the 10th Global Media and Information Literacy and Feature Conference in Abuja and pledged to establish the Institute.
Idris congratulated President Tinubu for his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s global image, describing the designation as a “big win for all Nigerians and the African continent.”
He also disclosed that the formal launch of the Institute is scheduled for February 2026 in Abuja, with UNESCO officials, member states, and international partners expected to attend.
The Minister further assured that the government will collaborate with UNESCO to strengthen the Institute’s infrastructure and governance capacity by assembling a multidisciplinary team of experts to actualise its mandate.
Among the Nigerian delegation present at the conference were: Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Kenneth Eze; Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Ethics and Values, Hon. Olusola Fatoba; Director-General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama (who represented the Minister); Director-General, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Malam Abdulhamid Salihu Dembos; Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo; Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo San, among others.
