The United Nations body responsible for global education, science, and culture has now recognised the International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the development during a world press conference held on Wednesday, the 5th of November, 2025, in Abuja.
The endorsement followed deliberations at the UNESCO 43rd General Conference of the Communication and Information Commission (CI Session) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
By earning this status, Nigeria steps into a central role in the global campaign against misinformation and disinformation. The country now has a platform to lead international research efforts, policy debates, and capacity-building in media and information literacy, an area shaping today’s digital world.
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Idris described the approval as a major endorsement of the country’s efforts.
“The Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to fostering a society where responsible free speech is seen as the engine of national progress,” Minister Idris said, adding, “A central pillar of our strategy is the democratisation of digital opportunities, with media and information literacy as the key driver.”
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a diplomatic storm with Washington. The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, recently designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern over alleged Christian genocide and warned of possible military steps if security lapses continue.