Idris Mohammed – Kano
A civil society organization (CSO), Civil Society Network on Migration and management, (CSOnetMADE), in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union, has held a two-day capacity-building workshop for journalists on proper migration reportage.
The training took place in Kano on Tuesday and Wednesday and had in attendance more than twenty journalists from the Northwest region drawn from print, electronic, freelancers, and online media organisations, including representatives of IOM and National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and IDPs (NCFRMI).
Addressing participants at the workshop, CSOnetMADE Director, Dr. Emeka Xris Obiezu, said the training is to ensure that journalists would learn key technical terms needed for effective reportage on migration and to improve on the protection of migrants and their reintegration in Nigeria through the strengthening of Nigeria’s migration governance.
He revealed that “the media remains a critical factor in the dissemination of information about migration issues, especially as it concerns Nigeria, even as he said the organisation will ensure journalists key into migration governance actively.”
Obiezu added that “this workshop is conceived to build the capacity of media agencies by training practitioners to better reportage of migration issues, knowing terms, dynamics, and trends. Journalists should know what is the missing link between the Nigerian government and the media in migration reporting. From the perspective of someone who is part of migration management, you find out that there is insufficient participation of the media in migration governance.
“Journalists are not present at the technical working group, where most of these issues are dealt with conclusively and comprehensively, so what gets out to them are flashpoints. And sometimes, when you pick flashpoints, you may not know the details. So, the government, in terms of its technical group, might be doing one thing and the media will be reporting another thing; because of not getting the whole picture of what they saw.”
In addition, sen. Basheer Mohammed, the Honourable Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), who heavily represented by zonal director Hajia Zeenat urged the media and journalists to create awareness on dangers of irregular migration also give migration issues favourable image in their coverage.
Also speaking, one of the facilitators, Umoru Abdulwahab, said he expects participants in the workshop to correct the negative perceptions people have about migration and utilize the knowledge while conducting their professional reports especially on migration-related issues in the region.
“This training is sponsored by the EU, in collaboration with IOM, and journalists are expected to make use of data to correct wrong perceptions people have with regards to data. They should know, at the end of this two-day workshop, the difference between brain gains, brain drain, brain circulation, among others,” he concluded.
