FG Unveils Media Literacy Institute, Digital Switch-Over as Minister Idris Urges Ethical Reporting At Arewa Summit.
By, Nura Ajingi.
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to press freedom and called on media practitioners to embrace ethical, balanced and development-focused journalism to drive national unity and economic growth.
Speaking at the inaugural Arewa Media Summit in Kano on Monday, July 6, 2026, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, FNIPR, said democracy thrives when government is accountable, citizens act responsibly, and the media performs its constitutional role with professionalism and integrity.
Idris described media as “one of the most powerful forces shaping public opinion” and urged journalists, broadcasters and digital creators to tell stories of innovation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and culture in Northern Nigeria alongside reports on challenges.
He noted that misinformation and disinformation now spread faster than truth and pose threats to security and investment. To counter this, he announced two landmark initiatives: the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute, IMILI, in Abuja the world’s first UNESCO Category 2 institute on media literacy and the launch of the Digital Switch Over, DSO, or FreeTV, to expand access and boost local content production.
Highlighting achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister cited the Four Legacy Highway Projects, including the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway and the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the creation of the Ministries of Regional Development and Livestock Development, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, and gains in security through intelligence-led operations.
Idris also backed ongoing constitutional efforts to decentralise policing through state police, saying it would create jobs and improve community safety. He concluded by challenging media professionals to “tell stories that unite rather than divide” and to serve as architects of public opinion and custodians of national memory.
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, declared the summit open and called on other Northern states to adopt similar efforts to achieve meaningful outcomes.
The event, themed _“Media Impact, Innovation and Multiple Perspectives,”_ was organized by Alhaji Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Enlightenment, in partnership with the Kano State Government.
