Minister of information and national orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian youths to use social media responsibly and avoid the spread of misinformation and unverified content.
Idris made the call yesterday in Abuja at the Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) Abuja youth programme with the theme: “Passion.”
The minister urged responsible use of social media, warning youths on the dangers of spreading unverified content, saying social media should be used for unification rather than destruction.
“If you don’t believe a message, please don’t share. If you share, you should know you are either advancing the world or leading it to destruction,” he said.
Idris narrated how his youthful passion for broadcast drove him to success.
“I didn’t get the opportunity at age 16, but now I have achieved a lot in the media industry. Today, I have found a new dream and I’m actualising it; so, it is not too late to start pursuing your passion,” he said.
According to him, the Bola Tinubu administration is combating misinformation by promoting media literacy.
“We are working with UNESCO to clean the information communication ecosystem to rid the world of fake news. Nigeria has won the UNESCO Category 2 Media Information Literacy Centre in Abuja.
“In November, the whole world will look to Nigeria for the first media and information literacy institution of its kind,” Idris said.
The managing director of NTIC, Feyzullah Bilgin, praised the impact of the TEDx Abuja Youth programme.
Bilgin said the programme was to inform and empower individuals and young minds through powerful ideas.
“All our speakers and presentations got approved into the TEDx global YouTube page which has around 42 million followers,” he said.
Bilgin said this year’s theme, “Passion,” was focused on the driving forces behind great ideas.
He reaffirmed the school’s commitment to nurturing creativity and innovation in students. (NAN)
