From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, has said the successful hosting of an international event in a week marked by petrifying terror alerts, is a testament to the great efforts of the nation’s security forces.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this during the closing session of the 2022 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week and the Abuja Declaration on Global Financial for Media and Information Literacy: An Imperative to Fight Against Disinformation and Build.”
His remarks followed security alerts by the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom to their nationals on Sunday.
The travel advisories which had been updated by both countries, have seen other countries such as Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Bulgaria joining the fray.
Mohammed said: “The huge success of the 2022 Global MIL Week in Abuja, coupled with the first hand experience of our guests from all over the world, is a clear testimony to the organizational ability and warmth of our people.
“The successful hosting of an international event, in a week marked by petrifying terror alerts, is also a testament to the great efforts of our security forces in keeping residents of our capital city, and indeed our country, safe, despite the antics of terrorists who are continually plotting to destabilise our nation’s peace and security. Thanks to the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, our country will be progressively safe and secure, for citizens and non-citizens alike.”
Earlier, Mohammed recalled that in 2013, Nigeria hosted the first Global Forum for partnership on MIL, tagged “Promoting Media and Information Literacy as a means to cultural Diversity,” which culminated in the UNESCO MIL Alliance and ultimately in the Global MIL Week.
The minister added that Nigeria stood on the threshold of history to adopt the Abuja Declaration document on Global Financing for Media and Information Literacy: An Imperative to Fight Against Disinformation and Build Trust.
“As we round off a great week, it is imperative for us to re-echo
the collective conviction of speakers and contributors that resonated
throughout the various sessions of this MIL week, which is that the
development of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is a panacea for
the fight against all forms of disinformation and the building of
trust.
“It is also very clear that the trust question, which this year’s
Global MIL Week dealt with, is indeed of global concern. Given the
frightening dimension of the impact of the surge of disinformation
across the globe on the relationships between the government and the
governed,
institutions, communities, religious organizations, etc., there is the
need to forge a common front to confront this menace by advancing a
global funding to deal with the issue of disinformation.
“Having gone through the various sections of this declaration
document, I am convinced that the commitment of all stakeholders to
the spirit and letter of this document will greatly accelerate the
fight against disinformation and help to build trust.
“We, as a country, commit to pursuing, supporting and promoting the
right MIL policies and programmes that will enhance the development of
the capacities of our citizens, particularly the youth, in the
effective use of Media and Information Literacy. We also commit to
working with UNESCO to establish a UNESCO International MIL institute
in Nigeria and look forward to receiving the necessary assistance in
this regard.
“Finally, I urge development partners, multilateral organizations
and all countries to commit to supporting and funding this initiative,
which will ultimately make our world a safer and more peaceful place
to live,” Mohammed stated.