The Implementer, United Nations Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance in Nigeria, Victor Asije has called on Nigerian youths and adults to always make good use of media and information platforms.
Asije, made the call in a message to celebrate today’s UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week in Lagos.
The Implementer enjoined Nigerians to always use media and information platforms for regulation, co-regulation, self-regulation, self- development, community and national development and healthy international relations.
Asije, said it was also vitally important for Nigerians to know that due to globalisation, whatever information they post on the internet automatically becomes a brand for their country.
“As Nigerians today join the rest of world in celebrating this year’s UNESCO Global Media and Information Week, I am making this appeal to us all Nigerians to begin to make good, meaningful and purposeful uses of the media and information platforms in our possessions.
“As youths and adults, we must stop the use of these internet platforms for wrong purposes, things that pollutes, things that misinform, things that seduces to evil, things that lures us to sarcasm, hate speeches, pornography, yahoo yahoo, illicit money transfer and other forms of incivilities.
“It is not uncommon and unusual now, to see parents and adults unashamedly watching pornographic sites and other obscenities in public places, and at home with children around them.
“We must know that our computers, laptops, phones, and other media and information sources will do with us and our children, what we do with them,” he said.
Asije, said millions of young men and women, adults were already on the negative receiving end of the misuse and abuse of computers, laptops, phones and other internet gadgets.
He said it was important for governments at all levels, educators and parents to encourage the acquisition of media and information literacy in government and private organisations, schools and at homes.
He also called on national, regional, continental and international governments to evolve a more comprehensive and unified framework for entrenching media and information literacy.
