The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has formally reappointed Professor Olunifesi Adekunle Suraj of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as the Network Co-Coordinator for its global University Network on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (UNITWIN-MILID).
Professor Suraj, a faculty member in the Department of Mass Communication at UNILAG, will continue to serve alongside Professor José Manuel Pérez Tornero of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His reappointment follows the renewal of the UNITWIN Cooperation Programme agreement between UNILAG and UNESCO, which has been extended to run through December 31, 2029.
The renewal was confirmed in an official communication from UNESCO’s Future of Learning and Innovation Division, which acknowledged Professor Suraj’s intellectual leadership and his pivotal role in strengthening media and information literacy (MIL) and intercultural dialogue across university networks globally. His work has been particularly influential in representing perspectives from Africa and the Global South within the broader UNESCO framework.
Professor Suraj is widely regarded as a leading authority in the field, with his research concentrating on digital society dynamics and the application of MIL as a catalyst for behavioural change and cross-cultural understanding. His leadership has been instrumental in the recent inauguration of the African chapter of the MILID network, an initiative designed to adapt global solutions to local contexts using MIL strategies aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The reappointment further cements UNILAG’s status as a prominent player within UNESCO’s global MIL network. Under the renewed mandate, the Network is expected to drive forward UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector objectives through collaborative research, teaching innovations, and community-oriented action.
UNESCO has also encouraged the Network to enhance global participation in its MIL Programme and to ensure that research outputs are made freely available as Open Access resources, promoting wider accessibility and knowledge sharing.
On behalf of the university community, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, extended congratulations to Professor Suraj on his well-deserved reappointment and expressed confidence in his continued success in advancing the Network’s mission over the coming years.
