Nigeria Pushes For Stronger D-8 Media Alliance, Showcases Homegrown Innovations In Baku
As global information threats grow more complex and digital platforms reshape public perception at lightning speed, developing nations are being urged to work more closely to protect media integrity.
Nigeria delivered this message strongly on Friday at the D-8 Media Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, calling for deeper collaboration to strengthen media systems, tackle misinformation, and enhance regional unity.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council, Nze Dili Ezughah, said that in a world defined by digital disruption and information disorder, cooperation among D-8 member states is no longer optional but essential.
He noted that with the bloc’s combined GDP surpassing $8 trillion, the media has a critical role to play in shaping public understanding, promoting transparency, and supporting development.
Showcasing Nigeria’s recent reforms, the Minister highlighted the establishment of the UNESCO-backed International Media and Information Literacy Institute, the first of its kind in Africa, designed to train journalists, advance research, and improve digital safety.
He invited D-8 nations to partner with Nigeria on curriculum development, capacity-building, and joint projects.
Idris also cited Nigeria’s progress in digital identity management, with over 100 million verified identities, saying the system could help member states curb impersonation, fake news, and digital fraud.
He added that Nigeria’s booming creative sectors, film, music, and digital storytelling, have become powerful tools of global diplomacy and youth empowerment.
To strengthen regional cooperation, Nigeria proposed shared ethical frameworks for digital media, joint media literacy programmes, research on AI in media, cross-border newsroom exchanges, and deeper partnerships in creative industries.
“Nigeria believes the D-8 is more than an economic bloc, it is a community of nations with shared aspirations,” Idris said, reaffirming the country’s commitment to building informed citizens, cohesive societies, and resilient economies.
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