UNILAG headquarters new Africa chapter of UNESCO network initiative

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been officially designated as the headquarters of the newly inaugurated Africa chapter of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) university network.

The chapter will be headed by the university’s lecturer, Olunifesi Suraj, who also serves as the co-lead of the global UNESCO university network on media and information literacy.

According to a press release, the African chapter inaugurated on 9 December with the theme: “The Africa We Want”, will have its headquarters at UNILAG, with regional offices in four other African subregions.

In his comments, Mr Suraj, an associate professor in the Department of Mass Communication, UNILAG, noted that the chapter of the UNESCO University network will help harness all the African developmental initiatives by localising the global solutions using media and information literacy strategy.

The African chapter has 10 member universities from the continent, with Nigeria having the highest number of representatives at five.

About MILID

MILID is an international university research network established by UNESCO and the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC). The network is committed to promoting media and information-literate societies globally.

MILID was launched during the first international forum on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in Fez, Morocco, from 15 to 17 June 2011.

The network operates within the framework of the UNESCO University Twinning and Networking Programme (UNITWIN), which aims to build higher education and research capacities and facilitate collaboration between academia, civil society, local communities, research, and policy-making.

“The UNESCO/UNAOC-MILID Network seeks to ensure that the collective knowledge and expertise are not only shared but are also reflected in the elaboration of strategic projects at national, regional and international levels,” a concept note on the Africa MILID reads in part.

Expectations from the African chapter

Going by the various developmental initiatives and interventions in Africa, especially UNESCO’s Priority Africa 2022-2029 project and the African Union Agenda 2063, the African chapter is expected to “address the challenges peculiar to African development.”

“The need to address regional and continental challenges while also collaborating with global partners to address common challenges justify the establishment of the African chapter of the UNESCO MILID UNITWIN University Network as presently being conceived,” the concept note added.

A virtual sensitisation and awareness programme was held on 19 November with 19 participants from prospective and current UNESCO UNITWIN MILID Network members from various African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, and Ghana.

To realise its pan-African vision, according to the concept note, the African chapter will strategically align its Media and Information Literacy programmes with the five flagship programs of UNESCO’s Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-2029.

These flagship programmes include initiatives to enhance education, cultural heritage, and innovation in Africa.

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Management, others speak

During the launch, the Management of UNILAG, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, Ayodele Atsenuwa, pledged the university’s support for the chapter and its initiatives.

Also, Jose Manuel from the University of Autonoma Barcelona in Spain, a global co-lead with Mr Suraj, praised UNILAG management for the foresight and promised international support for the project.

Alton Grizzle, MIL Programme Specialist at UNESCO HQ in Paris, acknowledged UNESCO’s formal recognition of the African chapter and expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with UNILAG and the Nigerian government.

The Secretary General of UNESCO National Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, Olawale Olagunju, welcomed the initiative, stating that it couldn’t have come at a better time for Africa.

In his closing remarks, Mr Suraj explained how universities join the network, encouraging interested institutions to contact UNESCO HQ in Paris through Mr Grizzle.

“To become a full member, the university must demonstrate active participation in Media and Information Literacy (MILID)-related activities for at least a year. Full membership is granted at the annual MILID University Network meeting, which is held during Global Media and Information Literacy Week,” he said.