The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has advocated early media and information education to help children identify fake news, resist online manipulation and protect themselves from cyber threats.

Making the call yesterday in Abuja during the public presentation of Young Truth Detective, a media and information literacy workbook designed for children aged six to 10, the UNESCO Representative to Nigeria, Dr Isaías da Rosa, said children needed to learn how to verify information before sharing it.

Da Rosa, also the Head of the UNESCO Abuja Office, said this would help curb misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, insisting that the best way to fight fake or misleading information is through education.

He stressed that teaching children to check facts and avoid sharing unverified information would help build a better society. He further described media and information literacy as an important part of UNESCO’s work, particularly as social media and other digital platforms continue to shape how people access and share information.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, Dr Lateef Olagunju, emphasised the need to equip children with critical thinking skills to help them assess information before accepting or sharing it.

Olagunju cited cartoon-based educational resources designed to teach children the importance of checking claims and unverified announcements, stating that such interactive materials could make fact-checking easier for children growing up with smartphones and other digital technologies.

Also, Director of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), Dr Sharon Omotoso, warned that parents, teachers and communities have a shared responsibility in helping children navigate digital platforms safely due to the various dangers online, including scams, identity theft and inappropriate contact with strangers.

She added that media literacy education should cover personal data protection and the risks associated with using artificial intelligence tools, sharing digital images, and subscribing to online services, including possible consequences.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue Foundation (MILID Foundation), Chiamaka Okafor-Onumah, said the workbook was developed to instil responsible information habits in children before they grew older.

She explained that many interventions against misinformation focused on adults, journalists, civil society organisations and older young people, prompting the foundation to introduce media literacy education to children aged six to 10.