By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq has called for increased collaboration between the ministry, humanitarian actors and the media.
The Minister made the call in her remark at a 2- Day Sensitization Workshop organized to train the Ministry’s correspondents on “Effective Media Reporting of the Humanitarian Sector,” held at the Army Resource Centre, Mambilla Barracks, Abuja on Thursday.
The Minister commended the Ministry’s correspondents for their critical role in disseminating the mandate, policies, activities, programmes and achievements of the Ministry to the public.
She however called for greater collaboration between the ministry, humanitarian actors and journalists.
She said,”It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the Two-Day Sensitisation Workshop on Effective Media Reporting of the Humanitarian Sector organized by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for media correspondents and the Press Crew of the Ministry.
“I would begin by acknowledging the important role of the media in educating, informing, creating awareness, sensitizing and acting as the watch dog of the society.
“The media is one of the critical partners of the Ministry. Its role in the dissemination of the mandate, policies, activities, programmes and achievements of the Ministry to the public cannot be over emphasized.
“In the humanitarian sector, the media plays a major role during emergencies and disasters by providing vital information to both the public and the government before, during and after the incidents.
“The media educates people about consequences, hazards and warnings on disasters and alerts government for rescue and interventions, hence the need for increased collaboration between the Ministry, humanitarian actors and the media.”
The Minister pointed out that the Ministry was created in 2019 by President Buhari’s administration with the mandate to develop Humanitarian policies and provide effective coordination of National and International Humanitarian interventions; ensure strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response; and manage the formulation and implementation of fair, focused, social inclusion and protection programmes in Nigeria.
She disclosed that the Ministry since its inception has recorded a number of achievements in the area of coordination, partnership, interventions, cooperation, sensitization and prompt emergency response.
Speaking further on the achievements of the Ministry within the last 20 months of its existence, Farouq said the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) which was established in 2016 has contributed significantly to poverty reduction in the country.
According to her, the expansion of the programme will contribute significantly to the realization of the national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.
She mentioned that over Eight Million Primary 1-3 Pupils in Public Schools are currently receiving one meal per day under the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, and the N-Power program provided temporary income-generating opportunity for 500,000 unemployed youths in the Batch A and B N-Power beneficiaries.
She added that currently the Ministry is about concluding the enrollment of 1,000,000 Batch-C applicants in two streams of 500 in the first instance and another 500,000 later.
She further disclosed that under the National Social Register, a total number of 6,969,230 households and 29,766,599 persons have been captured, and about 4,000,000 households and 20, 000,000 persons are to be added to the Social Register, among other laudable achievements.
The Minister noted that these achievements are consistent with the President’s national vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years. It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country.
“I must sincerely commend you members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm for partnering with the Ministry since it was established.
“It is gratifying to note that there are over 60 journalists accredited with the Ministry which indicates the interest media organisations have in the humanitarian sector.
“We are partners in progress and I solicit your continuous cooperation in the dissemination of information on the activities and programmes of the Ministry to adequately sensitise, educate and inform the stakeholders and the public on humanitarian issues.
“I must state that this workshop was organized to expose you to the operations of the Ministry, the functions of the various departments and the modus operandi of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), for effective reportage of the humanitarian sector.
“It is expected that at the end of the workshop you will all be acquainted and well informed about the Ministry and the key humanitarian terms as well as how to effectively report humanitarian issues.
“It is obvious that the sector deals mostly with the vulnerable, poorest of the poor and persons with concerns in the society. Reporting such issues require special skills which you will become familiar with in the course of this workshop,”she said.
She urged all journalists covering the humanitarian beat to exhibit professionalism in their reportage and adhere to the ethics of the profession.
The Minister encouraged journalists to always verify information with the Ministry and balance their stories before going to the press, adding that the Ministry is ready to partner with the media to achieve its mandate.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, Nura Alkali stressed that the aim of the workshop is to educate and sensitise journalists on the mandate, programmes and activities of the Ministry as well as expose them on the concept of humanitarian response and how to effectively report the humanitarian sector.
He noted that the media as a critical stakeholder of ministry makes it necessary for the correspondents of the ministry to be equiped with adequate knowledge in educating the public on humanitarian issues for national development.
“I wish to state that the media is one of the critical stakeholders of the Ministry and as an agent of change in the society, which is one of your roles, it is pertinent that the journalists covering the Ministry have adequate information and knowledge about the Ministry and the sector to effectively disseminate correct messages and information to the public,” he stressed.
He assured that the Ministry is ever ready to collaborate with the correspondents covering ministry and will try as much as possible to provide necessary information that would assist their effective reportage of the Ministry and its Agency.
