Juliet Jacob 
Minister of Information, Muhammad Idris
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria has secured hosting rights for the world’s first Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute under UNESCO, marking a landmark achievement in global digital education leadership.
The confirmation was announced during the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Minister of Information, Muhammad Idris on Wednesday, hailed the approval as “historic”, saying it positions Nigeria as a global hub for research, training and capacity development in media literacy — a field increasingly seen as crucial in the age of misinformation and digital manipulation.
“This milestone firmly positions our country to lead globally in advancing media and information literacy,” Idris said. “It strengthens the foundation for knowledge exchange, research innovation and youth empowerment.”
The institute, classified as a UNESCO Category-2 Centre, will support collaboration among researchers, policymakers, journalists, educators and civil society, while providing training programmes to enhance responsible media consumption and digital citizenship across Africa and beyond.
Officials said the selection reflects Nigeria’s sustained engagement in UNESCO’s Global MIL Alliance and ongoing domestic efforts to combat misinformation, hate speech and digital exploitation.
Idris expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for backing the bid, saying the achievement belongs “not only to Nigeria, but to the African continent”.
“This is about strengthening societies from the classroom to the newsroom,” Idris noted.
Nigeria to Host World’s First UNESCO Media Literacy Institute
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 