Nigeria is poised to make history as the first country to host the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO’s) Media and Information Literacy Institute.
This follows years of strategic collaboration between the Nigerian government, UNESCO, and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The ambassador/permanent delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani, stated this yesterday when she led a delegation on a courtesy call to the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters.
The visit was to discuss the newly established Category 2 Centre on the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), among other important issues.
Dr. Sani expressed profound gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for facilitating the opportunity to discuss the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria under UNESCO.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the minister of information and other stakeholders in ensuring the feasibility of the project, particularly the successful completion of the feasibility study and the publication of a favourable report.
According to her, the collaboration between the federal government, NOUN, and UNESCO is crucial for advancing media literacy education globally, encouraging continued commitment to ensuring the autonomy of the institute for its long-term success.
She further stressed the significance of the institute as an international entity that would benefit not only Nigeria but also the global community, calling for urgent attention to the next steps in the approval process, including the review of the draft agreement and the continued collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the timely establishment of the institute.
“We have seen the Nigerian government commitment, we are really impressed, I personally am very impressed, it gives me a lot of courage and hope that people on the ground here, while we are up there, doing the top one, the one doing the groundwork, the Honourable Minister of Information, the Vice-Chancellor, the University Committee, and everybody has put their heads together and we are able to be where we are now.
“So for us, like I said, and I will continue to say, it’s really a big achievement.
“So I must say that, once again, I thank the Vice-Chancellor for his personal engagement, that now continues to relate to UNESCO as a programme and ensure that Nigeria continues to deploy the expertise and intellectual contribution in strategic areas in line with our national commitment to intellectual cooperation with the international system.
“I know the Vice-Chancellor is already on top of that. I must also appreciate him, the Vice-Chancellor, for your leadership and the process of establishing this media institute as Category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO.
“I also want to say thank you to the University and the Vice-Chancellor, the Department of Mass Media, for your efforts that led to the recognition as a suitable host, co-host of the Media and Information Literacy Institute.”
For his part, the vice-chancellor expressed gratitude for the visit of the Ambassador and UNESCO Permanent Delegate. He acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government, the Ministry of Information, and UNESCO in supporting the establishment of the Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria.
Professor Peters assured the Ambassador that NOUN is fully committed to the project, with the Institute already integrated into the university’s system and structured for long-term sustainability.
He also assured that the Institute’s governance would be strengthened and emphasised the importance of autonomy, noting that the university has already opened a separate account for the Institute’s finances, while outlining NOUN’s readiness, mentioning the university’s wide network of study centers and its plans for short, medium, and long-term programmes aligned with UNESCO’s priorities.
“The National Open University of Nigeria is extremely lucky to have the presence of this institute here. And we want to thank, first and foremost, the President of the Federal Republic. There are two Ministers of Information and National Orientation, starting from Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the present one, who have really made sure that this thing comes to fruition.”
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