1. Nigeria and the New World Information and Communication Order By Gbemiga Bamidele
Newsdiaryonline Mon Nov 14,2011
Bamidele
New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) is a campaign
sponsored by the United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) to counter Media Imperialism by creating an information order that
gives a more balanced view of developing countries than has generally been by
western press coverage. The intention of UNESCO with its International
Programme for the development of Communication (IPDC) has been interpreted
as a means of exerting greater national control over access to and use of
information. This, alleged the critics of the programme would constitute a
dangerous form of censorship.
In a swift reaction to the UNESCO efforts toward actualization of New World
Information and Communication Order, and to ensure that the objectives were
thwarted, the US Congress in 1981 directed the Reagan administration to
withdraw its contributions to UNESCO, that is a quarter of its (UNESCO) budget,

2. if measures were taken to “restrict the free flow of information”. On December
31, 1984, the United State of America (U.S) withdrew effectively from the
organization and was joined in its move, as usual, by the United Kingdom (UK).
In what seemed to be a reaction to the US and UK action, African leaders in what
is called “Yamousoukrou declaration”, in 1985 states that “one of the main keys
to solving African’s development problems lies in mastering the national
management of information in all its forms”. The text of the declaration that
appeared in an International Bureau of Information report (1986) argued that
information management and control are “not only a positive force for regional
and continental integration but also an essential condition for the survival of
Africa within the community of nations in the twenty-first (21st) century”.
New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)
The basic foundation of the New World Information and Communication Order
(NWICO) movement was that of an imbalance existing in the direction, volume,
and type of information exchange between adequately developed countries and
developing countries, which was detrimental to development and systemic in
nature. Of equal importance with and logically prior to this conception is the
ethical notion that information should be viewed as a shared resources or as a
social good rather than as a mere commodity.
The committee set up by UNESCO in 1978 referred to as a committee of “wise
men and one woman” was chaired by Sean Mac-Bride, Former Secretary General
of the International Commission of Jurists, to hear, distil and report on evidence
submitted with regards to media information and interaction between the
Western and “Third World” countries. In particular, the committee was to report
on the impact of Western media technology, and the subsequent flow of western-
oriented information, upon developing nations. The committee including
Colombian novelist Gabriel Garia Margnez and Canadian media guru, Marshal
Mc Luhan produced a 484 page report in 1980.
However, the New Word Information and Communication Order (NWICO) can
be said to mean an agitation by the developing countries for a two way, free,
balanced flow of communication processes and information dissemination, by the
developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

3. The NWICO movement began as a protest over the concentration of prints and
broadcast media ownership among the de-facto media cartels, and developed
into an agreement about the cultural dominance of poor nations by wealthy ones.
The non-aligned countries have made a decisive contributions to this
international debate by directing their concerted efforts towards a New
international Economic Order which necessitated a new International
Information Order. In 1973, meeting in Algiers, the Heads of States of the non-
aligned countries recommended that “developing countries should take a
concerted action to re-organizing existing communication channels which are a
legacy from the colonial past”.
The range of problems sought to be addressed by NWICO proponents include
cultural dominance and concentration of media ownership among the four main
western information agencies, i.e. United Press International (UPI) Reuters,
Associated Press (AP). Agency France de Press (AFP) as well as TASS (Former
Soviet News Agency) to make five.
It also includes the control of trans-border data flows by Multi-National
Corporations, the effects of tourism and advertising, and the uneven world
allocation of radio, satellite and telecommunication technologies and
infrastructures. It upheld the assertion that these relationships ran counter to the
interest of the developing world, threating, self-determination and sovereignty
and economic development.
UNESCO figures indicate that about 80% of world news emanates from five (5)
transitional news agencies, i.e. AP, UPI, Reuters, AFP and TASS. They run
beaureaus all over the world with about 4,500 correspondents spread in more
than 120 countries. UPI, AP, Reuters, and AFP are all agencies owned by either
USA or countries like Britain and France which belongs to the U.S. Information
pole by coalition or alliance.
The clamour for change of the disorder or imbalance then led to the NWICO
proposal of November 28, 1978 at the twentieth general conference in Paris, in
which the UNESCO issued a proclamation calling for the establishment of a New
World Information and Communication Order. The major documents of the

4. NWICO include the UNESCO’s statement on journalistic ethics, and the report of
the international commission for the study of communication problems.
The international commission for the study of communication problems had been
formed during the 19th general conference of UNESCO, held at Nairobi in 1976.
This commission, operating under the presidency of Ireland’s former foreign
Minister, Sean Mac Bride presented its interim report at the 1978 conference.
This final report was published in 1980 under the title “Many voices, One
world”.
The commission’s report seeks to provide an insight into among other things:-
- The current state of world communication
- The problem surrounding a free and balanced flow of information and how
the needs of the developing countries link with the flow.
- How in the light of the new international economic order, a new order may
be created, and
- How mass media can become vehicles for enhancing public opinions on
issues.
It also concluded, in the final analysis, that information is necessary to economic
development and that any attempt to establish a New International Economic
Order (NIEO) must incorporate or even depend upon, reform in the world of
communication system.
Comparism between Media in Developed and Developing Nations
The increasing importance that the international community attaches to the
establishment of a more equitable and just information order is because

5. communication is central to the entire development process, be it economic,
social, cultural, educational, scientific or political.
According to Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi (2007), “developing countries want
information they receive to take into account their unique socio-political,
national interests, as well as their national culture since it could further their
political progress and improve their infrastructures”. As for information collected
by foreign news agencies in developing countries, it should objectively reflect
internal development, ruling out any prejudiced or biased coverage.
It should be observed that the style, content, treatment and the perspective of
virtually all news flowing in and out of Africa reflects the personality,
preferences and needs of the western world. This is because of the negative,
abnormal, rather than the positive “appeal” to audiences. Internal or
international crises like HIV/AIDS, unemployment, violence, hunger, wars,
disaster, occupy the forefront in the bulk of the coverage of Africa in the world of
both prints and broadcast media.
Western news agencies hardly recognize the need for communication to serve
developmental needs of developing countries because their clients and interests
do not subscribe to such, and their agencies’ main markets are not in the
developing countries.
There is also a conflict of interest on the communication concept on what is news
worthy, between these two divides. In the Western world, news agencies bought
and sold news like any other commodities. The raw materials from which news is
fashioned are events that may or may not be accessible to all.
Naturally, developing countries that trade in news would like to have a free
access to all events with communication values. These include the acts of
governments, officials, elite groups, and individuals. These acts in themselves are
not necessarily news, they only become news after being processed. As a result of
dependence on the international agencies, Africans see themselves and their
neighbors through foreign eyes such as CNN, BBC World Service, Satellite and

6. the Internet, etc. No nation can claim to be free if its media is under foreign
domination. Intellectual and cultural dependence is worse than economic and /
or political independence. Massive penetration of foreign news values through
the mass media can deform traditional values and is detrimental to the
development of national culture in emerging societies. Media of developing
countries are expected to function as part of the national efforts in the task of
modernization and nation building. These include upholding the political system,
helping citizens to understand that the nation does exist and trying to overcome
poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, unemployment etc.
Rather, developing countries have long held a heart-felt belief that western
agencies report only the bad news of what happens in their countries and that
this bad news, based upon what Anthony Smith (1980) in his book “The
Geopolitics of Information” terms aberrational criteria for news selection causes serious
harm, especially when such countries are in need of Western Financial support and investment.
Nigeria and New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)
The position of Nigeria is not in any way different from other developing nations. To say Nigeria
is affected by the one-way distorted and deliberately planned pattern of information flows in and
outside the country is an understatement.
Nigeria has been a mere consumer of information from the media of developed nations which is
hostile to the country’s socio-cultural and economic developments. International broadcast media
like the Cable Network News (CNW), Sky News, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),
Radio France International, Radio Deutsche elle among others have become the main source of
information in Nigeria. These Foreign media are like a mirror where we see ourselves and shape
our opinions and dictate what we should do or otherwise.
Regardless of the country’s problems ranging from inadequate and dilapidated equipment;
unprofessionalism in the media, lack of ICT knowledge, inadequate funds, among others, the
question to ask is how can Nigeria outlive the inequalities of wealth and therefore of cultural and
media provision between so-called core nations and peripheral nations, and the serious and
ongoing information gaps between them; gaps which are unlikely to be bridged until the
structures of deprivation are removed?.

7. In an attempt to answer this question, there is therefore the need to look at agencies through
which the NWICO agenda could be sustained in Nigeria. These agencies are: News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON). NAN has offices in the New York, Britain and
other foreign countries all over the world, and has exchange agreements with AP, Reuters, AFP,
TASS and prominent others. In an attempt to address the problem of Information flow from the
North to the South without considering the faith of developing countries, it is an editorial policy
of NAN that all materials from the trans national news agencies have to be processed by the
editors to eliminate pejorative words, foreign imaging and style…” so as to reflect the Nigerian
perspective. This is to say that NAN can effectively be utilized in alleviating the problem of
imbalance flow of information.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was established in 1976 to gather and distribute news on
Nigeria and cover events of interest to Nigeria at the International level for the benefit of the
Nigerian media and general public.
The objects of the agency as enshrined in section 2, subsection (1) of Decree 19 of May 10, 1976
are as follow:
a. To seek, obtain and otherwise receive through subscription, payment exchange or other
means, international, regional or local and other news material and news features;
b. To distribute such news materials and news features to subscribers against payment either in
the form of fees or news exchange or on such other terms as may be agreed;
c. To present complete, objective and impartial information, news or news materials or features
on any matter of public or national interest within and outside Nigeria; and
d. To report thoughtfully and fairly, without prejudice to public and national interest, the views
of all sections of the populations of the federation.
Efforts targeted towards fulfillment of aforementioned aims and intentions include the
promulgation of an editorial policy which stated that “the primary duty of the agency is to uphold
the integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and promote harmonious relationships among the
different groups”.

8. It stated further that “News and Comment emanating from the agency must be truthful, honest
and fair, but must not jeopardize peace and harmony in the country”.
The Agency must bring enlightened opinion to bear in discussing and international issues. It
must positively influence public opinion and contribute to the evolution and formulation of
correct national policies.
It enjoined the agency to promote understanding among the peoples of the ECOWAS sub-region,
the African Union (A.U) and the world in general. It also encourage respect for the integrity of
member countries of the ECOWAS and African Union. In its role as the national purveyor of
news and opinion, and of esponsing the pubic good, the News Agency of Nigeria must not act as
an institutional opponent to any government or interests; but where it is in the public interest to
report criticism of public policy, it must do so in a restrained and objective manner.
On sovereignty or unity of Nigeria, the editorial policy of the Agency warned that “neutrality is
not expected of the agency. It must come out firmly on the side of Nigeria without prejudice to
its adherence to the truth which must at all times be its guiding light and governing principle”.
The Voice of Nigeria (VON), also referred to as “the authoritative choice” came into existence in
1961 as the external service of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) which later
became the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). On January 5, 1990, it was excised
from the FRCN by Decree No 15 of May 14, 1991 with retroactive effect. The enabling law
stipulates that “The Corporation shall with the exclusion of any other broadcasting authority or
any other body in Nigeria, be responsible for broadcasting externally, by radio, Nigeria’s view
point to any part of the Word”.
Voice of Nigeria (VON), as the sole agency for international broadcasting in Nigeria has also
taken steps to have cordial relationship with similar bodies all over the world. VON is currently
having memoranda of understanding with Radio France International (RFI), Radio Deutche
Welle (DW), Radio Sudan, SABC-Channel Africa etc. Mutually beneficial collaborative
relationship and synergies with several others are also in existence.
Infact, VON Staff, on intern with international broadcasting stations, have always been found to
be in top form and well groomed.

9. However, it is important to note that in as much as NAN and VON are positioned to achieve
these patriotic endeavors and snatch Nigeria from the clutches of the media of the richer sections
of the world with their domination of world opinion and continuous morale and cultural
pollution. They are confronted with several problems ranging from lack of equipment, skilled
work-force; particularly, journalists that requires consistent training and re-training towards
enhancement of capacity; inadequate funds to purchase modern and sophisticated equipments for
gathering, storing, retrieving and dissemination of information as to compete with the likes of
AFP, Reuters, AP, CNN,BBC, VOA etc.
An effective information system is a technique through which information in all areas of human
endeavour is collected, collated, processed, stored, retrieved and disseminated. This makes the
information system an indispensable tool for modern economies and fully justifies its inclusion
in the visioning process of Nigeria. It should go beyond foresighting and imagination to
actuality.
Finally, it should not be seen as an impossibility to create and enabling environment for a New
Nigerian Information Order. The most significant thing is to strengthen the structures that are
supposed to drive the initiative towards its actualization.
Do not hesitate to contact Bamidele on liftmeahead@yahoo.com or / and +234(0)8033237973
for interaction on this subject, please.
References
Information Technology and Development: A new World Order:
http//www.sbear.uca.edu/research/2001 ACME/128aeme-o1.htm
Mac Bride S (1981) Many Voices, One World. Communication and Society Today and
Tomorrow: Ibadan University Press
Pate U (2007) “Rethinking the New World Information and Communication Order in the Era of
Globalization” unpublished, Bayero University, Kano

10. The New World Order and the Geo-politics of Information. http/issuissu./france.com/
eunmaf/base nwegcoinfo.html.