The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms in the education sector are creating tangible opportunities for young Nigerians while strengthening access, stability and quality across universities in the country.
Idris made the assertion on Friday in Abuja while receiving the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja (formerly the University of Abuja), Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, who led the university’s top management team on a courtesy visit to his office.
According to the minister, key Federal Government initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, student innovation grants and improved government–university relations are already yielding positive results in the education sector.
He noted that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Federal Government is implementing strategic reforms aimed at ensuring sustainable access, institutional stability and enhanced academic quality across Nigeria’s universities.
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with universities to advance media education, promote responsible journalism and address the rising challenges of misinformation, disinformation and the misuse of digital technologies.
Describing the visit as timely and strategic, Idris said the Ministry of Information and National Orientation remains a service-oriented institution dedicated to supporting academia through public communication, visibility, mentorship and policy alignment, assuring the delegation of sustained engagement and partnership.
He commended Yakubu Gowon University for establishing the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, describing the unbundling of Mass Communication into specialised programmes as consistent with global best practices, and stressed the need for closer interaction between media professionals and students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.
Idris further highlighted the Federal Government’s leadership in promoting media and information literacy, citing Nigeria’s hosting of the UNESCO Category II Media and Information Literacy Institute the first of its kind,globally as part of efforts to combat fake news and strengthen public trust in information.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Fawehinmi, congratulated the minister on his leadership in the information sector and sought the Ministry’s support and mentorship for the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies ahead of its accreditation, while reaffirming the university’s readiness to align with the Federal Government’s programmes and policy direction.
