By Chimezie Godfrey
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has said that media and information literacy skill will help young people address the challenge of misinformation and news on different societal issues.
The Coordinator, AFRICMIL, Chido Onumah made this assertion during a workshop conducted in collaboration with Rosa Luxemburg tagged,”Building Capacity for Youths and Students in Tertiary Institutions to Promote Peace, Intercultural Dialogue and Decision Making.”
Onumah noted that media and information literacy will enable young people understand and access media messages and as well boost their interpersonal and community relationships.
“Media and Information Literacy skills are sets of competencies that provide young people in a world of expanding information and communication technology with the ability to navigate the media, produce media, understand and critically assess information and media messages and apply them in their interpersonal and community relationship,” he said.
The AFRICMIL Coordinator stressed that media and information literacy skills will enable young people access to effective information and an understanding of the news media as well as help develop their communication abilities.
According to him, part of the aim of the workshop is to provide youths with the knowledge of evaluating information and information sources with a view to addressing misinformation or bias about internet messages and news on different societal issues which can lead to tension, violence and truncation of the democratic process in the country.
He also said that the intervention is planned to provide youths the opportunity to understand and deal with contemporary issues in a way that is responsible, informed, inclusive and effective as a way of ensuring unity, peace, and progress in Nigeria.
Onumah noted that the future of democracy in Nigeria lies greatly on the shoulder of youths whose energy, knowledge and approach to governance will help in promoting social and peaceful co-existence in the country.
He stressed that developing the capacity of youths to deploy the benefits of MIL skills to counter false information and promote positive information will go a long way in promoting social inclusion and national cohesion.
The Programme Manager, Rosa Luxemburg West Africa, Angela Odah who thanked AFRICMIL for organizing the workshop said such forum will help to revive the vibrancy of the campuses and restore some of its progressive contents.
She also stressed that social media as a new communication strategy in promotion of peace and intercultural dialogue is very important in view of the challenges Nigeria faces in the area of security, economically and socially.
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