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The Nigerian Government has called on Nigerian journalists to commit to ethical reporting and embrace media and information literacy as a key strategy in combating fake news and misinformation.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal at the sidelines of the TEDxNTICAbujaYouth event in Abuja, which spotlighted themes around technology, education, and entertainment. The event convened young innovators and media stakeholders from across Nigeria.
Idris underscored the importance of continuous professional development and the integration of media literacy into journalism practice.
“It is important for journalists to imbibe media information literacy because that is the only tool required to discern between fake news and real news, between misinformation and accurate information,” he said.
He further cautioned about the dual nature of digital platforms:
“You need that because in this age, the social media especially can both be a unifier and also an agent of destruction depending on how you use it. We want everyone to use social media especially—which has come to stay, by the way—as a tool for unifying all of us.”
Student speakers at the event echoed the importance of education and inclusive discourse in fostering national unity and tackling misinformation.
“Wherever you are in life, no matter how low you think you are, how much you think you failed, you can get back up with the right determination and effort,” said Nafisa Aliyu.
“Embracing our differences—I chose the topic because I am Turkish and some people are Nigerian because I am in Nigeria. So that’s why I chose the topic—so that people know they should not do something bad to others just because they are different,” explained Muhammed Kerim Korkmaz.
The event served as a bridge between the government, media professionals, and young people, aiming to cultivate a better-informed and more responsible society.
Other student presenters included Melek Iliter, Nafisa Abubakar, Faridah Karimu, Stephanie Martin-Sini, Grace Musa Madaki, David Mark Obe, and Umar Ahmad.
Dr. Vivian Sonny-Nsirim also delivered a presentation, while security expert Kabir Adamu spoke on The Psychology of Safety.
