The International Labour Organisation (ILO) through its Action against Child Labour Agriculture in West Africa has urged media practitioners to ensure massive coverage of issues relating to child labour in Nigeria in order to drive meaningful change.
The Programme Manager of the ILO project, Agatha Kolawole during a three-day training workshop for media practitioners in Ondo State on the elimination of Child Labour.
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS in 2022, shows that 5.1 million children are involved in child labour, while 4.1 million others are in hazardous work in Nigeria.
The need to address issues surrounding child labour came to the fore at this three-day training on communication for development for media professionals in Akure, Ondo State.
The training, put together by the International Labour Organisation Action Against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa, examined the role of journalists in the support for eradication of child labour.
The National Project Manager of the programme, Agatha Kolawole stressed the need for social protection as a solution to child labour.
The National Information Officer of the United Nations Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun encouraged journalists to focus more on investigative reports in the quest to eliminate child labour.
The training ended with a call to media professionals to use their power to drive meaningful change, by giving special attention to issues relating to child labour.
