NUJ, IOM Strengthen Partnership, Sign MoU On Migration Reporting

By Ayodele Oni

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have entered into synergy aimed at promoting greater collaboration in migration reporting, media advocacy and communication.

Already, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed in Abuja during an engagement between the leadership of the two organisations, bringing together officials of the NUJ and IOM to discuss areas of mutual cooperation and the role of the media in advancing accurate and responsible reporting on migration.

The President of the NUJ Comrade Alhassan Yahya, in a remark, stressed the importance of the relationship between the media and IOM, particularly in ensuring that journalists are better equipped to report migration issues accurately and responsibly.

He noted that the media has an important role to play in informing the public, creating awareness on early warning signs of Migration, addressing misinformation and giving adequate attention to the experiences, opportunities and challenges associated with migration such as malnutrition, drug abuse among others.

The NUJ President also welcomed the MoU as an opportunity to deepen professional collaboration and create more avenues for journalists across the 36 State and the FCT to acquire relevant knowledge and skills for effective migration reporting.

In her response, the Chief of Mission of IOM Nigeria Ms. Sharon Dimanche, highlighted the importance of working closely with the media, describing journalists as key partners in communicating reliable information and shaping public understanding of migration-related issues.

The IOM Chief of Mission emphasised the need for accurate, balanced and responsible reporting, noting that effective communication can contribute to better public understanding of migration and help counter misinformation, as well as help minimise the number of people who fall victims to scammers using advanced online and social media technology to perpetrate sofisticated levels of fraud.

The engagement featured an overview of the MoU and its areas of collaboration, followed by the formal signing of the agreement by the IOM and NUJ leadership and the exchange of signed documents.

The partnership is expected to strengthen cooperation in areas including media advocacy, communication, capacity building and improved reporting of migration-related issues.

The discussions also touched on the importance of reporting issues surrounding safe migration, the benefits of migration, durable solutions, emergency situations, health and other issues affecting migrants and communities.

Further, the Journalists had an opportunity to interact with IOM representatives during an interactive session, providing room for questions and further clarifications on migration-related matters.