The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, wants a review of outdated laws to improve performance in the information sector.
Alhaji Idris made the plea during an interactive session with members of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation at the National Assembly in Abuja
Alhaji Idris urged the Senate to review outdated laws in the information sector pending before the National Assembly to enable the ministry meet the requirements of the modern age.
The Minister noted that the problems bedeviling parastatals under the Ministry were rooted in their outdated enabling laws.
“The ministry’s key mandate, he said, is ensuring that credible and timely information on government activities, programmes, and projects is available to Nigerians, noting that national orientation has been added to the ministry because of the gradual erosion of values over the years, which has become a source of worry to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The Minister disabused the minds of Nigerians that the Ministry was only a propaganda organ of government, noting that strategic communication would be applied in information dissemination for the benefit of all Nigerians.” He said.
He urged the lawmakers to support the ministry in reviewing the enabling laws of the parastatals, which are already before the National Assembly, to enable the ministry to run its enormous mandate.
The Minister also requested the support of the lawmakers to establish the UNESCO-approved International Institute of Media and Information Literacy in Nigeria
He expressed happiness that the leadership of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation was passionate about repositioning the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and called for continued cooperation from the Senate to enable the Ministry to achieve its mandate.
The Minister also informed the Senate of the desire of his Ministry to launch a “National Citizens Campaign,” which would provide an avenue for a robust conversation about citizenship, patriotism, and values.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Emeka Kenneth Eze, commended the Minister on the work he had started and harped on the need for the Ministry to be more innovative and technology-driven to generate its revenue rather than rely on subventions.
He affirmed that the Committee would work on the pending amendments to the enabling laws and support the Ministry in delivering on its mandates.
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