Sikirat Shehu
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) through the FAIRWAY programme on Thursday unveiled a media toolkit towards improving the condition of labour migration from Africa to the Arab states and as well reducing the abusive practices that impede human rights.
Giving the background knowledge of the toolkit at a two-day national training for media and Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) on Media Toolkit for Reporting Forced Labour and Fair Recruitment in Nigeria using ILO’s Media Toolkit held in Lagos, Charles Autheman, advocate of human right explained that it is pertinent for media practitioners and CSOs to understand the law guiding and protection each country.
Autheman, who joined the training through virtual, pointed out that the kit will avail journalists necessary steps and guidelines from sourcing information about migrant, knowing the different between legal and illegal migration, how they migrants must be protected, ability to guide general public on their rights and change the narrative to ensure conducive environment for all and economic development across the globe.
In his submission, Emeka Xris Obiezu, the international migration policy governance expert said ILO’s Media Toolkit was contextualized for use in Nigeria. He said the training was facilitated by ILO within the framework of the FAIRWAY programme supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
According to him, in 2020, ILO launched the global media Toolkit aimed at contributing to quality reportage by journalists in the area of forced labour and recruitment processes. The Toolkit provides concrete tips for improving media production, story ideas and strengthening networks of specialised journalists with a number of countries already adapting the toolkit to their respective national contexts.
“In Nigeria, the process of adapting the toolkit to the national context commenced in 2020 towards increased awareness and sensitisation purposes,” he said.
Similarly, Tunde Salman, a consultant who leads the national adoption of the ILO Global Media Toolkit in Nigeria, stated that the role of media cannot be over emphasised and the needed knowledge to back their performance to actually gather information and report adequately on labour issues are provided in the kit.
Salman, however, charged the media personnel to intensify effort by giving required attention to reporting issues concerning human rights and recruitment.
He added that each country has peculiar quality and challenges and with effective communication; people get to understand one another, work together and grow the economy together.
Austin Erameh, national right coordinator posited that the training was meant to avail the media and CSOs with necessary tools and skills to identify areas of strength and contribute more effectively in promoting rights of migrant workers through storytelling, especially amid the context of COVID-19, and further facilitate learning between the media and stakeholders for better advocacy in the areas of labour migration in Nigeria
He added that the training will strengthen the capacity of media and CSOs in Nigeria to better understand, engage, and report objectively on issues concerning labour migration and forced labour using ILO’s media toolkit.
