Global Media and Information Literacy
Lead City University’s Participation in Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026
AI, Digital Citizenship and Information Integrity: We All Play a Part
Monday, 26 October – Friday, 30 October 2026 | Main Conference: Friday, 30 October 2026About the Programme
Lead City University, Ibadan, is participating in Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2026, an international initiative that promotes media and information literacy as an essential skill for navigating today’s information-rich and increasingly digital world.
Observed globally from 24 to 31 October, Global MIL Week 2026 is organised around the theme “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People.” The initiative highlights the shared responsibility of individuals, educational institutions, media organisations, technology providers and other stakeholders in promoting informed, critical and responsible engagement with information.
In response to this global call, Lead City University is organising a multidisciplinary, University-wide programme under the theme: AI, Digital Citizenship and Information Integrity: We All Play a Part.
The programme brings together academic and professional perspectives to examine how Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital platforms and emerging communication technologies are changing the ways information is created, accessed, evaluated, shared and used. Through expert presentations, a postgraduate student discussion panel, practical information-verification activities, student competitions and digital awareness initiatives, the University promotes critical thinking, responsible information use and digital citizenship across its community.
The initiative also provides opportunities for students to create, question, investigate and communicate, rather than merely attend a conference.
Why This Matters
The rapid growth of generative AI and digital communication creates new opportunities for learning, research, creativity and public engagement. At the same time, it makes distinguishing reliable information from misinformation, disinformation, manipulated content and unverified claims increasingly important.
For universities, these issues extend beyond technology. They affect academic integrity, research credibility, professional communication, legal responsibility, public trust and the quality of decisions people make. Lead City University’s programme examines these challenges from complementary disciplinary perspectives while encouraging practical action. Its central message is simple: everyone has a responsibility to question, verify, create and share information responsibly.
Programme Focus
- Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-generated content
- Misinformation, disinformation and manipulated media
- Information literacy and source verification
- Responsible digital communication and content creation
- Digital citizenship, online safety and personal responsibility
- The legal and ethical implications of creating and sharing information
- Responsible use of AI in teaching, learning and research
- Academic integrity in an AI-enabled educational environment
- Ethical persuasion, digital marketing and public trust
The programme explores not only how technology is changing the information environment, but also how individuals and institutions can respond responsibly to these changes. This reflects the central message of Global MIL Week 2026: We All Play a Part.
A Multidisciplinary University-Wide Initiative
The programme brings together five institutional partners, each contributing its academic and professional expertise to a shared conversation. Each partner delivers a substantive presentation or structured discussion of approximately 20 minutes. The five contributions form one connected conversation, demonstrating how media and information literacy cuts across disciplines and professional boundaries.
Department of Mass Communication
Media, Misinformation and the Responsibility to Inform
Examining the role of the media, journalists, content creators and social media users in shaping public understanding, with particular attention to media ethics, verification, responsible journalism and information sharing.
Department of Library, Archival and Information Science
Information Literacy in an Age of Information Overload
Exploring how individuals find, evaluate, interpret and use information responsibly, assess source credibility and make informed decisions about the information they consume and share.
Department of Computer Science
Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Media and Digital Responsibility
Examining generative AI, deepfakes, synthetic media, algorithms, digital safety and the technological challenges involved in protecting information integrity.
Faculty of Law
The Legal Risks of Creating and Sharing False or Unverified Information
Highlighting the legal implications of digital communication, including defamation, privacy, copyright, intellectual property and responsibility for publishing or redistributing harmful or misleading content.
Marketing Unit
AI, Digital Communication and the Ethics of Persuasion
Exploring AI-generated advertising, digital marketing, authenticity, transparency, influencer responsibility and the relationship between persuasive communication and public trust.
Together, these five institutional partners demonstrate how media and information literacy connects different academic disciplines and professional practices, reinforcing the principle that everyone has a role to play in promoting information integrity.
A Student-Focused Discussion Panel
Artificial Intelligence in Postgraduate Education and Research: Academic Integrity, Responsible Use and Policy Development
This discussion is a central part of the programme because of its direct relevance to the University community. Rather than treating AI simply as a tool to be accepted or prohibited, the panel examines how postgraduate students can use AI responsibly while maintaining academic integrity, research credibility and independent intellectual contribution.
The interactive discussion brings together postgraduate student representatives from the University’s ten faculties to examine the opportunities, ethical challenges and policy implications of AI use in postgraduate education and research.
- Where should the University draw the line between legitimate AI assistance and academic misconduct? What principles should determine acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in academic work?
- When does AI-assisted work cease to represent a student’s own intellectual contribution? How should originality, authorship and independent thinking be assessed?
- Should postgraduate students be required to disclose when and how they use AI? Should disclosure apply to every use or only to substantive assistance?
- Who is accountable when AI-generated work contains fabricated references, inaccurate claims, biased interpretations or false data? What verification standards should apply?
- How can the University protect academic integrity without unfairly accusing students of AI misuse? Should AI-detection tools be accepted as evidence of misconduct, and what safeguards should protect students?
- What rules should govern AI use in postgraduate research, including data collection, analysis, interpretation and publication? How should researchers protect confidential information, research participants and unpublished findings?
- Should the same AI-use rules apply across all ten faculties, or should each discipline have its own guidelines? What should be mandatory University-wide, and what should faculties determine independently?
- What responsibilities do supervisors, lecturers and examiners have in an AI-enabled postgraduate environment? How should they establish expectations and assess students’ independent competence?
- How can the University ensure that its AI policies are fair, inclusive and practical? How should it address differences in access to AI tools, digital skills, accessibility needs and the risk of unfair academic advantages?
- What should be the essential provisions of Lead City University’s policy on AI use in teaching, learning and research? What should be permitted, restricted or prohibited, and how should violations be investigated and addressed?
Expected Output: Recommendations for University Policy. The discussion generates practical recommendations to inform and support the formulation of Lead City University’s AI Policy. A report of the discussion is produced to capture the key issues raised, the perspectives of postgraduate students across the ten faculties and recommendations for the University’s consideration.
Key Programme Activities
1. Multidisciplinary Presentations & Interactive Discussions
Each of the five institutional partners contributes a presentation or structured discussion of approximately 20 minutes, creating a connected multidisciplinary conversation.
2. The LCU Information Integrity Challenge: CAN YOU SPOT THE FAKE?
An interactive activity inviting participants to examine selected digital content and assess whether it is authentic, false, misleading, AI-generated or unverified.
3. LCU Media and Information Literacy Student Challenge
Students develop creative content around the message “We All Play a Part.” Formats include 60-second videos, reels, infographics, posters, animations, podcasts and mini campaigns.
4. Student Creative Design Competition
Students submit creative designs inspired by Global MIL Week 2026 — artwork, promotional flyers or logo designs communicating media and information literacy.
5. One-Week Digital Awareness Campaign
Coordinated by the Marketing Unit, featuring accessible messages like “Think Before You Share,” “Check the Source,” “Can You Tell if It Is AI?” and more.
🎯 Mini Challenge: Can You Spot the Fake?
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Event Structure
The programme features five substantive presentations or structured discussions, each lasting approximately 20 minutes, giving a total of 100 minutes for contributions from the five institutional partners. The event follows this structure:
| Segment | Duration |
|---|---|
| Opening and welcome | 5 minutes |
| Introduction to Global MIL Week and Lead City University’s participation | 5 minutes |
| Welcome address by the Vice-Chancellor | 5 minutes |
| Department of Mass Communication contribution | 20 minutes |
| Department of Library, Archival and Information Science contribution | 20 minutes |
| Department of Computer Science contribution | 20 minutes |
| Faculty of Law contribution | 20 minutes |
| Marketing Unit contribution | 20 minutes |
| AI and Academic Integrity: Postgraduate Student Discussion Panel | 30 minutes |
| Interactive audience discussion and synthesis | 15 minutes |
| Student challenge and competition recognition | 10 minutes |
| Closing remarks | 5 minutes |
| Total duration | 175 minutes |
The conference runs for approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes, combining multidisciplinary presentations, postgraduate student engagement and interactive audience participation.
University-Wide Participation
This is a Lead City University-wide initiative. All staff and students are invited to participate in the conference and related activities. Members of the University community beyond the five institutional partners are encouraged to contribute to the wider programme, particularly the student creative challenges and digital awareness campaign.
The programme reinforces the principle that media and information literacy is everyone’s responsibility, giving practical meaning to the Global MIL Week theme, “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People.”
Expected Outcomes
- Strengthening media and information literacy across the University community
- Promoting critical evaluation and verification of information
- Improving awareness of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content
- Encouraging responsible and ethical AI use in academic and professional contexts
- Promoting responsible digital citizenship
- Increasing awareness of the legal and ethical implications of digital communication
- Creating opportunities for student creativity and practical engagement
- Showcasing the University’s multidisciplinary expertise
- Sustaining engagement with media and information literacy beyond the main programme
- Producing a report of the postgraduate student discussion to inform and support the formulation of Lead City University’s AI Policy
Continuing the Conversation
The University’s participation extends beyond the main conference. The five institutional partners are identifying relevant follow-up activities to sustain engagement, while selected student contributions and key lessons from the programme are shared through the University’s digital platforms.
These activities reinforce the programme’s central message and encourage continued reflection on responsible AI use, academic integrity, information verification and digital citizenship. By connecting expertise across disciplines and encouraging practical engagement, Lead City University is contributing to the global conversation on AI, digital citizenship and information integrity.
Media and information literacy is everyone’s responsibility. We all play a part.
Institutional partners:
- Dr Waheed Busari, HoD, Department of Mass Communication and Media Technology
- Dr Sophia Adeyeye, HoD, Department of Library, Archival and Information Science
- Dr Bola Oyekunle, HoD, Department of Computer Science
- Dr Olanike Adelakun, Dean, Faculty of Law
- Ms Sarah Edoja, Digital Marketer, Marketing Unit
Event Updates and Resources: This webpage serves as the University’s central information point for Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026.
