The United Nations Children’s Funds, UNICEF and journalists have marked a new commitment on the enhancement and promotion of child advocacy in Nigeria.
This was done through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between UNICEF and Guilt of Editors, a body of professional journalists that aims to develop and promote excellent journalism and professionalism as well as advocating for freedom of press in Nigeria.
The tripartite signature took place on Friday at United Nation, UN House, Abuja, with Diamond Awards for Media Excellence, DAME, as the third party.
DAME is a platform that recognizes and award outstanding journalism that informs and educates the public on critical issues and other things.
According to UNICEF, the new partnership is a transformative journey which promises to enhance the narratives of child’s rights across the country.
Speaking at the event, Ms Christian Munduate, UNICEF representative, emphasized on the role and importance of media in achieving their objectives in protecting and developing the welfare of children.
The MoU she said, ‘is more than just an agreement; it is a declaration of our unified intent to harness the powerful voice of the media for the betterment of children’s lives.’
She explained that the media’s role that educates, informs, motivates the public and influenced those in power to create critical policies that protect and promote the rights of children is a key factor in achieving their goal.
‘Through this collaboration, we aim to amplify our advocacy and awareness campaigns, ensuring that every child’s story is heard and that their rights are not only recognized but actively safeguarded,’ she added.
Part of the partnership she noted, will include capacity building for journalists to understand ‘what is often an underrepresentation of the rights and welfares of children in the society.’
‘We will develop training programs for journalists on key issues like for example, polio eradication, engaged in joint research endeavors, and celebrate the media contributions that drive positive change. This partnership will also spotlight the need for policies that benefit children’s welfare through insightful and impactful reporting.
According to the MoU, the program will last for two years.
‘The next two years will see us working closely with our partners to create media content that not only informs but also inspires action to support education, health, nutrition and protection for all children. We set to honor to recognize and honor those in the media who champion our cause, pushing the boundaries of journalism to serve as a beacon of hope and a force for good,’ she explained.
Speaking before the official signing of the partnership, Eze Anaba, Guilt of Editors president, said that the Nigerian media space is preoccupied with mostly political discussions, giving little attention to other relevant issues like child rights and their welfare.
He said while Nigeria is battling with different crisis in almost every sectors, the primary victims of all the crisis are children.
Highlighting the role of media in influencing positive change, Mr. Anaba said the media has a profound capacity to shape perspective and effect real change.
He however praised UNICEF for the new project and partnership with the media on protecting and promoting child rights.
‘Through this MoU we are pledging to uphold integrity of journalism by focusing our collective expertise on sensitive and impactful reporting concerning children’s rights,’ he said.
He also noted that they are committed to working together to build a robust framework that support the cause.
Also reacting, Lanre Idowu, the trustee of DAME talked about the importance of excellent journalism as well as identifying and rewarding such.
‘Recognition through awards plays a crucial role in elevating journalistic standards. By focusing on issues such as child rights, education and health we aim to spotlight and incentivize the media to cover stories that can lead to substantial social impact.
‘This partnership is not just about awarding excellence but about creating a meaningful movement for meaningful media engagement on issues that affect the most vulnerable in our society,’ Mr. Idowu said.
