The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has extended the national campaign for media and information literacy to secondary schools, underscoring the importance of early education in responsible digital citizenship.
Speaking during the TEDxNTICAbujaYouth 2025 at Nigerian Tulip International College, Abuja on Saturday, the Minister emphasised the growing influence of social media on young minds and the urgent need to equip them with the skills to critically evaluate the information they consume and share online.
Idris acknowledged that while the advent of social media has revolutionized access to information and expanded opportunities for communication, it has also introduced significant challenges to the information ecosystem, especially the spread of fake news, disinformation and misinformation.
He said: “Because I’m in the communication business, I became very passionate about how people dish out stories, how people can instantly engage and communicate with each other around the world and then before you know it, the digital space opened up. You have the Instagram, facebook, WhatsApp, X and others but again that’s another challenge. It now meant that instead of communication being a unifier for everyone, communication can also be used negatively.
“The birth of the digital world also brought about the birth of the era of fake news disinformation and misinformation.”
Speaking on the theme of the event, “Passion”, the minister shared a deeply personal account of his early aspirations and life journey as a testament to the transformative power of passion, determination, and resilience.
Idris recounted that, as a young man, he nurtured a burning passion for broadcasting and fresh out of secondary school, he was so committed to this dream that he persuaded his father to help secure him a job at a broadcasting organisation.
However, he said, his aspiration was momentarily interrupted when an uncle insisted that he must first pursue higher education and obtain a university degree before venturing into the broadcasting industry.
He said that advice, though initially disheartening, led him down a different path, as upon graduation, he explored various career opportunities outside broadcasting.
“Today, I am Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation. I am not just a broadcaster, I am the chief spokesman of the government of Nigeria. So you can see how that dream that appeared to have been aborted many years ago, came back to pay off,” he said.
He added that before becoming a minister, he owned a radio and television station as well as a newspaper outfit.
The minister encouraged young people, to hold fast to their passions, even when immediate opportunities seem elusive. He emphasized that while the road to success may not always be linear, passion, guided by purpose and perseverance, has the power to transform dreams into reality.
Idris stated that it is this same passion that now drives his commitment to combating fake news and disinformation by promoting media and information literacy, particularly among young people, as a means of fostering a more informed, critical, and responsible society.
The minister announced that, beginning in November this year, the UNESCO Category 2 Media and Information Literacy Institute will commence operations in Nigeria, offering a unique platform for Nigerians and individuals from other countries to acquire critical skills in media and information literacy.
He said the Institute aims to empower participants to effectively navigate the digital information landscape and become less susceptible to fake news and misinformation circulating on social media.
“I led Nigeria to set up UNESCO Category 2 Media and Information Literacy Institute – the first of its kind in the world – to be sited in Abuja. By November when UNESCO gives its final approval. The whole world will look up to Nigeria.
“So it’s not about you young men and women picking up your microphones, laptops and smart phones to just say anything. You can have education but you also need media and information literacy,” he said.
