Tinubu Congratulates New NUJ President, Yahaya, on Election Victory

•Approves funds for UNESCO Media, Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu yesterday congratulated the new President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya on his election at the eighth Triennial National Delegates Conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

This is coming as the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the release of funds required for the immediate operations of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute,

Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also congratulated other newly elected members of the NUJ executive.

He praised the union for organising a rancour-free election at the conference.

President Tinubu said Yahaya’s overwhelming victory was a testament to the NUJ members’ confidence in his leadership qualities.

He expressed optimism that Yahaya’s experience, particularly as the former deputy president of the Union, will be instrumental as he leads the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

The president emphasised the importance of the press taking on its constitutional roles with a renewed patriotic passion, aligned with the vision and efforts of the founding fathers of journalism in Nigeria.

Furthermore, President Tinubu restated the administration’s commitment to ensuring a free and independent media integral to deepening democracy and promoting national development.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has approved the release of funds required for the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute.

UNESCO had awarded the hosting rights of the Category 2 MIL Institute, the only one of its kind in the world to Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this during a meeting with the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, on the sidelines of President Tinubu’s State Visit to France, according to a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.

He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been very supportive of the take-off process, and has approved the release of all funds required for the immediate operationalisation of the Institute, which will be located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The statement further stated that the minister welcomed the initiative and pledged to ensure that Nigeria takes prompt advantage of it, and presents a city that will be among the world’s inaugural set of MIL Cities.

Recalling his previous meeting with Jelassi, in 2023, the Minister conveyed Nigeria’s gratitude to UNESCO for the honour of hosting a Category 2 MIL Institute, the only one of its kind in the world.

In response, Jelassi expressed enthusiasm for the take-off of the Institute in Nigeria, emphasizing its relevance in addressing the global challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. He also highlighted the importance of fostering a safer and more reliable internet, which aligns with UNESCO’s key priorities.

He explained that the goal of UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms was to promote critical thinking and platform transparency, whilst also safeguarding freedom of expression.

Additionally, the Assistant Director-General informed the Minister about the UNESCO MIL Cities initiative, which seeks to integrate and embed the concept of Media and Information Literacy into the design and daily operations of cities around the world, including transport systems, community activities, culture, billboards, and so on.

Discussions also touched on UNESCO’s new Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, published in 2023 following a multi-stakeholder consultation that assembled over 10,000 submissions from 134 countries.

Jelassi presented copies of the document to the Information Minister, who assured that Nigeria will work with all relevant stakeholders to domesticate the guidelines and ensure a safer and more responsible internet for all Nigerians.

Idris was accompanied to the meeting held at the UNESCO Headquarters by Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani.