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Tag: Yao Ydo

  • UNESCO urges youths to restore Pan-Africa through ICT

    UNESCO urges youths to restore Pan-Africa through ICT

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ) has advised African youths to tap into the power of the Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) for the development of  the continent.

    Mr Yao Ydo, the Regional Director of UNESCO, gave the advice in an interview on Friday in Lagos.

    He spoke on the sidelines of the maiden edition of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria ( ACSPN ), Eminent Persons Strategy lecture series.

    The event held at Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, was themed: “The 21st Century Youths and the Future of Communication in Africa”.

    Ydo said embracing Pan-Africanism was necessary because most African countries, except for Nigeria, were unable to make a head way because they “are too small and weak’’.

    He said while the older generation, through the UN might have failed the continent, the present youths must come together and build a united Africa.

    “Build a United Nations by thinking Pan-African and less like Nigerians; build a genuine integrated Africa that the adults failed to do.

    “Think of becoming friends with other Africans outside your jurisdiction, using the social media and ICT.

    “Build a United Africa nationality and citizenship because the future of African nations depends on your togetherness,’’ the UNESCO chief said.

    He expressed regret that the era when people travelled within African countries without travel visas had been phased out.

    According to him, the free movement hitherto enjoyed during that period was an avenue to strengthen Pan-African.

    “Notwithstanding with the emergence of ICT and social media now, we can reawaken the relationship online, even without travelling and we can build a united continent.’’

    He said Africans would overcome their challenges “if we embrace togetherness and revive Pan-African.’’

    NAN

  • UNESCO seeks inclusion of information literacy in schools curriculum 

    UNESCO seeks inclusion of information literacy in schools curriculum 

    Regional Head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Yao Ydo is calling for the inclusion of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in school curriculum.

    Ydo said discussions are already on going with the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education on measures to integrate the MIL into the nation’s education system.

    He said it became important considering the high level of hate speeches, engagements of vulnerable youths into extremism and spread of fake news on the internet.

    The UNESCO representative emphasised on how individuals had sponsored customised messages to deceive people and achieve political gain.

    However, he called for immediate and proactive actions describing fake news, violence and hate speeches as affront to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    His words: “The stakes are high; fake news, hate speech and violent extremism are affront to the principles of the United Nations, embodied in respect for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms. They are rising threats to societies. So, UNESCO is drawing on all of its strengths, to deepen cooperation through education, the sciences, culture and communication, supporting member states, civil society actors, academia and private sectors in order to prevent and reduce all these mayhems created via the internet.

    “The evolution of internet has given room to the unprofessional journalists to thrive.  Everyone with a small device sees himself as a journalist, willing to broadcast to the world as the first person to click the button. The internet then becomes a force for good or bad actions. This is where media and information literacy comes in. MIL can encourage the celebration of connectivity across cultures to counter radicalism and extremism by drawing attention to the need for all citizens to understand how as individuals, in a given context, make sense of their experiences.”

    “Media and information literacy programmes are essential here, to help youth better identify and reject extremist propaganda. At the heart of media and information literacy, lies the need to empower citizens with essential knowledge about the functions of media and information systems in democratic societies,” Ydo added.

    In his remarks, Programme Coordinator, UNESCO MIL, Mr. Macaulay Olushola described the initiative as relevant to check hate speeches and reduce violence.

    He said the essence was to build literate teachers who will churn out information literate students and media and information literate society.

    According to him, MIL is capable of promoting democracy and good governance, such that citizens could engage the government on issues of national interest as well as analyse general information.

    Senior Lecturer from the University of Lagos, Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Suraj Adekunle called for the creation of national MIL policy.

    He said formal school curriculum ought to embody all the knowledge needed to provide solutions to socio-economic issues.

    However, he called for a transition of the curriculum to such that will promote civic contexts rather than entire focus on academics.

    “There is need to shift from mass media to information communication technology and digital media. It is also important to consider cultural dialogues in the campaign for MIL,” he added.

  • NEMA, UNESCO advocates synergy of modern, traditional expertise in disaster management

    NEMA, UNESCO advocates synergy of modern, traditional expertise in disaster management

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have underscored the synergy of modern and traditional knowledge of early warnings to disaster management.

    Both organisations made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during a workshop on “Interfacing modern and indigenous early warning systems to build vulnerable communities’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the partnership between both organisations is focusing on countries in the Lake Chad Basin Region that have been adversely affected by climate change.

    The countries are Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

    Mr Mustapha Maihaja, the Director-General of NEMA said that the impact of climate change had been dire on the countries concerned.

    He said that disaster could therefore be reduced to its minimal if there was a synergy of modern science and indigenous knowledge.

    Maihaja, who was represented by Mr Alhassan Nuhu, the Director, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), NEMA explained that a fusion of both bodies in building effective early warning systems would reduce disaster on vulnerable communities.

    “Climate risks are increasing in frequency and magnitude worldwide, impacting on human health, the environment and causing material loses to communities in a way that impedes the development of the society.

    “This is slowing down the progress toward sustainable development, and throws up a challenge to us as disaster risk managers.

    “The combination of both indigenous knowledge and modern science is inevitable; none can completely stand alone or excludes the other if our goal is to assure a reduction in loss of life and property.

    “There is an increasing awareness of the importance of indigenous knowledge as invaluable and underutilised knowledge reservoir.

    “Indigenous knowledge has been applied in evaluating climate trends and further used to establish early warning in our communities particularly with regards to rainfall patterns.

    “With the intensity and frequency of the changing pattern of climate and its impacts, the effectiveness of indigenous knowledge for disaster risk reduction is becoming grossly inadequate.

    “There is therefore a need to link modern science with indigenous knowledge in order to build a culture of early warning systems and disaster risk reduction by vulnerable communities to the negative consequences of climate change,’’ Maihaja said.

    Maihaja urged participants of the workshop to come up with a laudable project that would better enhance an effective early warning system to mitigate disaster in the region.

    ‎Mr Yao Ydo, the Regional Representative of UNESCO to Nigeria said that with this new emerging challenges emanating from climate change, it was important to look at the other dimensions of knowledge.

    Ydo, who was represented by Mr UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) , Senior Education Specialist, UNESCO, Nigeria said that it would be very useful to fuse knowledge and other forms of knowledge acquired.

    He said that the event was focusing on the Lake Chad Basin Region because the eco system of the region had been severely affected by the impact of climate change with terrible human and environmental consequences,

    He explained that these consequences had manifested in form of insecurity, social dislocation, economic disruption and environmental degradation, among others,

    The UNESCO regional representative explained that the synergy of both scientific and indigenous knowledge would generate a new co-produced knowledge that would enable effective action to cope with the impacts of the climate change.

    Ydo said that for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNESCO encouraged member states to explore and value the good traditional solutions used in the past by communities to address development challenges.

    He said that this could also help in building the resilience of members of communities.

    Ydo said that UNESCO was partnering with NEMA as the agency responsible for disaster management so that they would  work together and bring in experts to develop mechanisms in building a robust DRR response.

  • Bauchi, UNESCO sign MoU to train 50,000 girls, women

    Bauchi, UNESCO sign MoU to train 50,000 girls, women

    Bauchi state government and UNESCO on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to train 50, 000 girls and women in basic education through the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

    Mr. Macaulay Olushola, National Professional Officer, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO Abuja, said this in a statement.

    Olushola said that the MoU was signed during the courtesy visit of some UNESCO officials to Bauchi State Governor, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the empowerment programme would be the second phase of the project by UNESCO and product of Procter and Gamble, a Consumer Product company.

    The project in its first phase empowered 60,000 girls and women in the state.

    The statement quoted the governor as saying, “we must give the opportunity for those who lost the opportunity of education during their childhood.

    “This will enable the 50,000 girls and women have a second chance so that citizens of the state will enjoy basic education, which in turn will lead to better life for them.

    “Education opens all doors, health care delivery improves, when you have that, other social ills are attacked and settled,” the governor said.

    Also, Mr. Yao Ydo, the Director, Multi-Sectorial Regional office, Abuja, said the project would empower the girls and women in skills development through Information Communication Technology.

    According to Ydo, “School Meet the Learners Approach” would be deployed to implement the project that would last for two years.

    “The School Meet the Learners Approach project, is for the empowerment of girls and women in literacy and skills development through the use of ICT.

    “It is expected to improve the performance of the low performing Junior Secondary School Two (JSS 2) girls who have difficulties in some specific subjects in school.

    “It will also empower women on literacy and skills development through the use of ICT.

    “The signing of the MoU opens another window of opportunity in Bauchi State, prepares us to move together to empower 50,000 girls and women in the next two years of the project,” he said.