As the 2023 General Elections draw closer, and with the campaigns about to start, Nigerians have been called upon to ensure they vote in leaders who have the passion to tackle issues concerning the welfare of children and women.
To achieve this, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, is tasking the media and journalists in Nigeria to intensify their commitment, to promote issues affecting vulnerable children and women.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano, Rahama Mohammed Farah, said this in a message, during the opening of a two-day capacity-building workshop for media representatives from Katsina, Kano and Jigawa States.
Represented by the UNICEF Communication Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, Farah said issues like malnutrition, and under-aged marriage are still rampant, and many school-aged children, especially girls, still do not have access to education and so there is need for a leader with human empathy to address them.
He also added that, though the issue of out-of-school children is being tackled by UNICEF, engaging in different programmes with funding from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, Nigeria needs more committed leaders to continue with the efforts.
Also read: UNICEF advocates 6-Month maternity leave for exclusive breastfeeding
The Director-General of Abubakar Rimi Television, ARTV, Sa’a Ibrahim, represented by the Director of Production, Yushau Hamza, noted that her organisation has consistently been in partnership with UNICEF, towards journalism development, education, children and women issues.
The programme organized by ARTV in collaboration with UNICEF, was designed to among other objectives, enhance the capacity of the participants on reporting children and women issues.
Others are to enhance the capacity of participants on professional stories, to reorientate participants on ethical and journalistic principles, to remind the participants of the mandate of UNICEF, and to elicit their support for it, and to reignite the partnership between UNICEF and the media.
Editor: Ena Agbanoma
