The Nigerian Guild of Editors and United Nations Children’s Fund have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost children’s rights advocacy in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria is reporting that the MoU was signed by the NGE and UNICEF in Abuja on Friday.
The MoU seeks to leverage the influential power of the media to promote and protect children’s rights across the nation.
It will also support awareness, provide capacity building for journalists, facilitate shared research, recognise impactful media contributions, and influence policy to support children’s rights.
During the event, Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative, said NGE is not only a media giant, but part of the sector in the Nigerian society that can bring about influence and drive a change for the realisation of children’s rights.
She said Nigerian children have their needs, and are confronted with different challenges, risks and problems.
Munduate disclosed that some of the challenges are common and are tied to the country, while others are diversified, depending on the complexity of the areas in which they live.
She said: “These are more challenging for us, but it is necessary to inform stakeholders and all adults because we are responsible for these children.
“In whatever activities we do, we have responsibilities to our children, especially those children who are vulnerable and left behind in the country.
“The MoU we are signing today goes beyond an agreement.
“It is a declaration of our unified vision and accountability to harness the powerful voice of the media for the betterment of children’s lives.
“The media’s role cannot be overstated.
“It informs, it moderates the public, it creates the mind and it influences those in power to make decisions, to create public policies.”
The UNICEF boss expressed the hope that the collaboration would amplify the advocacy toward recognising and safeguarding the rights of Nigerian children.
The President of the NGE, Eze Anaba, who urged leaders to put more efforts toward taking care of children, said: “The country is challenged at all levels, ranging from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other conflicts and children are the most victims of all these challenges.
“Unprecedented number of children are out of school and malnourished.
“If we do not take care of issues plaguing the kids and other vulnerable people, we are endangering our future.
“I am excited by this MoU.
“It will give the Guild an opportunity to talk to colleagues, to look back on the fact that we should not be carried away by politics.”
NAN reports that NGE is the professional body of Editors and Media Executives in Nigeria.
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Anaba, therefore, said: “It is our responsibility to draw the government’s attention to help the kids and help our future.”
Lanre Idowu, a member of the Board of Trustees, Diamond Award for Media Excellence, appreciated NGE for the confidence reposed in it, adding that the Guild had been in existence for decades.
Idowu said ensuring and upholding the rights of children is for the overall best of the country, “and a win-win situation for all parties”.
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