Ngige Tasks Media On Child Labour Reportage
BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige says effective and sustained media partnership is required to eliminate the disturbing practice of child labour in the country.
Ngige, who frowned the “increasing cases of child labour practice in the country”, said given their watchdog role, media practitioners are competently positioned to play a pivotal part in eliminating this societal menace.
Speaking at a three-day training for media practitioners on child labour reporting and presentation of the national advocacy strategy on elimination of child labour in Abuja, the Minister said; “I implore you to take advantage of this training to enrich yourselves on child labour reportage, which would help in eliminating it.”
For Dr Ngige, it is quite worrisome that the Ministry, through its state labour offices, reported about 5,401 and 3,937 child labour infractions in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The Minister, who was represented by a Director in the ministry, Mr Dauda Ajuwon, also noted that 1,494 and 1,278 victims and their families were empowered, while 287 and 342 offenders were prosecuted during the years under review.
In applauding efforts by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Government of Netherlands at eliminating child labour in Nigeria, Dr Ngige noted that the “Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chain in Africa (ACCEL Africa) project” launched in 2019 had developed an action plan in that direction.
According to him, the initiative was meant to encourage immediate and accelerated steps in eliminating child labour in supply chains with focus on cocoa farms.
In his intervention, the National Project Coordinator of ACCEL Africa, Dr Agatha Kolawole, said the workshop would enable journalists understand issues around child labour; use of ACCEL platform to project it; and apply solutions that would lead to positive behavioural change by the Nigerian public.
She said with journalists and media practitioners in general having better understanding of the main concepts and conventions on child labour as well as possessing understanding on child labour issues, their capacity to ensure effective and accurate reportage of the sector would be hugely enhanced.
By United Nations (UN) statues, Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood; interferes with their ability to attend regular school; and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful to their overall well-being.
