The European Union (EU) has pledged to sustain media literacy advocacy in Nigeria as a measure towards ending the menace of fake news and its promoters.

This disclosure was made on Monday in Abuja by Mr Gautier Mignot, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference ( FIMI), which the EU organised for Members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN), the Ambassador stated that manipulation of information was a dangerous trend that must be avoided.

He noted that the EU and its partners would remain committed to fighting everything that encourages misinformation, disinformation and fake news in whatever format it may manifest.

“ Recognising the danger posed by disinformation and the need to combat it, the European Union is actively working to promote media literacy, with fact-checking playing a crucial role in these efforts. Within its borders, the EU has adopted far-reaching measures to combat disinformation.

“ Internationally, the EU is working with partners, including the media and the civil society to protect the integrity of the information matrix, Nigeria inclusive”, he said.

Mignot also said that the choice of professional media practitioners for the training was based on the fact of the role they play in shaping the society and also in democratic development.

According to him, when journalists allow the media spaces to be taken over by fake news purveyors, unimaginable damages will continue to befall the society and healthy human development.

He said, “ We have selected members of the Diplomatic Correspondents of Nigeria (DICAN) for this training for four main reasons: First, as field reporters, you are first-line purveyors of public information, with a considerable weight of responsibility to your media organisations and the larger society.

“Second, as diplomatic and foreign affairs correspondents, you stand at the intersecting point between your country and the outside world in terms of how information of foreign origin or foreign orientation are filtered into society”.

He equally added that the EU would continuously work within the ambits of the law and diplomatic protocol to support efforts that promote media freedom.

“As part of a comprehensive response, the European Union works to support actions that guarantee media freedom and pluralism and ensure that citizens have access to quality news and information they can trust”, he stated.