Chair of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Information for All Programme, Ms Dorothy Gordon, has charged Africans to embrace emerging technologies for telling and promoting their own stories.
Gordon gave the charge at The Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) 7th Annual and 1st Virtual Conference with the theme: “Communicating Identities and Nationhood: Promoting Inclusive Democracy through Access to Information and Knowledge Societies”.
In her address, titled Promoting Inclusive Democracy through Access to Information and Knowledge Societies, Gordon identified the place technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, internet of things and the big data generated, as fundamental platforms for global engagement and for understanding the needs and concerns of citizens.
She encouraged Africans to understand and be more aware of the technologies so as to promote the active development of information and technology ecosystem that would have greater local ownership of the solution that they use.
“Africans have to change their mindset to own and embrace emerging technologies so as to promote their own cause tell their stories,” Gordon said.
Igwe Malume of Igbaku, Professor of Mass Communication, and member, Advisory Group, ACSPN, who spoke on “Communication Technologies and Glocalised Identities” noted that communication technology has penetrated every field of societal endeavours with its positive and negative impact.
He expressed concern about the “absence of gatekeeping being the low side of social media usage.”
The immediate past President of the Association, Professor Lai Oso noted in his welcome address at the opening session, said that there is a no better time than now to interrogate and discuss the impact of new technology on communication identity as the world increasingly exhibits global village characteristics.
Panellists interrogated and discussed issues on The Media, Artificial Intelligence, Nation-States, and the Future; Flattening the Misinformation Curve in the Digital Age; Reshaping Identities and Citizenship in the Evolving Media Landscape in Africa; Protecting Fundamental Rights & Freedom of Expression: Lessons Learned from COVID-19; Female Researcher’s Panel – The Woman’s Identity in the Digital Age; and Reimagining the future: Health, Wellbeing and People’s Engagement.
On the first day of the conference, two books: “Steering AI and Advanced ICTs for Knowledge Society” by UNESCO and ACSPN Book Series 5: “Media Freedom National Interest and Governance” edited by Prof Lai Oso, Prof Rotimi Olatunji, Dr Dele Odunlami, and Dr Kola Adesina, were presented during the 1st virtual conference by Mr Bhanu Neupane, Programme Specialist, Communication and Information, UNESCO headquarters, Paris, and Prof Idowu Sobowale, Chairman, ACSPN Board of TrustThe 2-day conference, moderated by Dr. Chido Onumah, ACSPN Vice President, North Central and Mr. Olushola Macaulay, National Professional Officer, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO Abuja Regional Office attracted over 200 participants from different parts of the world.
There were goodwill messages from Prof Lenrie Olatokunbo Aina, IFAP, Chair Nigeria/ Chief Executive Officer of National Library of Nigeria, Mr Alistair Soyode – Founder, Ben TV, London and Mr. Mamadou Lamine Sow, Officer-in-Charge, UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Abuja represented by Abubakar Salifou.
The virtual conference was organised in partnership with UNESCO, Information for All Programme (IFAP), and World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).
Report by Oluwatomisin Amokeoja
