A deepening of mutual understanding between Nigeria and the BBC World Service is critical to a more informed society, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said, during a working visit to the British Broadcasting Corporation headquarters in London.

Idris’s visit to the BBC is part of a bridge-building and cooperation efforts between Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and foreign and local media houses.

At a meeting with the BBC’s top management, headed by Mr Jonathan Munro, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the BBC News and Director of the BBC World Service, Idris canvassed for fostering understanding as a key element in driving development.

''The media plays an indispensable role in shaping the right narratives, fostering understanding, and driving development, and as such, it is incumbent on media houses with global reach to deepen their understanding of the socio-political, economic, and cultural characteristics of the societies they report on,'' said Idris.

He also underscored the vital role the BBC plays as a longstanding narrator of the Nigerian political journey, saying that it was important for the BBC to balance its reporting on Nigeria by highlighting the progress and successes of the country and adopting deliberate content that inspires hope for a brighter future

''Nigeria has a flourishing youth population with uncommon zeal to seize positive opportunities even in the face of immense challenges, a situation that warrants more emphasis on positive outcomes in Nigeria,'' Idris posited.

One of the key challenges amongst youth in Nigeria and the world over, the Minister explained, is the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, which he said hinders progress and erodes trust between government and the people. He called on the BBC to further strengthen mechanisms for addressing the aforementioned challenges by also working in concert with its foreign partners to combat these threats and ensure the media ecosystems remain credible and responsible.

The Minister praised the BBC’s expanding their operational reach in Nigeria by creating more language options in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin, saying it has helped in the cascading of information and the employment and training of many more Nigerians.

•PHOTO: From left to right Alice Muthengi, News Editor Focus on Africa; Vera Kwakofi, Senior News Editor, Africa Digital Content Hub; Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Miriam Quansah, Asst Editor, Africa Digital Content Hub; Fiona Crack, Controller, BBC World Service Languages.

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