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UNICEF tasks media on birth registration

UNICEF tasks media on birth registration
By Zubairu Idris
Registration
Katsina, Sept. 13, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has urged media organisations to enlighten the public on the importance of child birth registration.
The UNICEF Public Advocacy and Communication Officer, Mr Rabiu Musa, made the call at a two-day stakeholders’ preparatory meeting for Media Campaign on Child Registration.
He said that the call had become imperative because birth registration in Nigeria was below the national and global standards.
“There is low level of awareness on the child registration in the country.
“That is why UNICEF is collaborating with the National Population Commission (NPopC) to change the situation.
“We want the media to take the enlightenment to people at grassroots level in the country, so that every child will be registered at birth,’’ he said.
According to Musa, birth registration is a right of every child, hence the need for parents to ensure that their children are registered.
He also urged other stakeholders, including traditional institutions, religious organisations, Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s), states and local governments, to continue to join hands to achieve the set goal.
The NPopC Director in the state, Alhaji Lawal Ahmad, said that Katsina has a projected population of 1,651,766 children below the age of five years.
He said that media campaign would commence from Sept. 20 to the middle of December 2018.
“The media houses will use their strategies to educate, mobilise and enlighten the public on the need for birth registration.
“Registrars must be ready to receive registration of more children during this period,’’ he said.
The NPopC Head of Vital Registration, Alhaji Yusuf Hussaini, said that about 150,433 children below five years have been registered in the state between January and June 2018.
According to him, “about 71 per cent of the 523,325 children born annually in Katsina state are not being registered at birth.
“These children have no certificate and in legal terms they do not exist; their right to identity, name and nationality is denied while their access to basic services is threatened’’. (NAN)
ZI/VIV/MST
Edited by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

HIV/AIDS: Stop promoting negative role model for children – Consultant

HIV/AIDS: Stop promoting negative role model for children – Consultant
By Awayi Kuje
Model
Keffi (Nasarawa State), Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) Mrs Tamani Yusuf, a Kaduna-based media consultant, has tasked journalists to stop promoting negative model for Adolescent and Young Persons (AYPs) in their reportage.
Yusuf, a former Managing Director, Kaduna State Media Corporation, gave the task on Thursday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, while speaking on “Role of the Media As Advocates Towards Addressing AYP To Make the Right Choices On HIV/PMTC Issues’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day meeting is co-organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Kaduna State Field Office, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for newsmen.
Yusuf Said that AYPs are influenced greatly by what they see on television stations, newspapers, social media and what they hear on radio, among others, enhance the need for the media to avoid reporting negative model.
According to her, AYPs are influenced by musicians, actors and celebrities, among others.
“We should present positive role models and we should avoid promoting negative role models.
“We need to know that as media executives, producers, reporters and journalists, we have a moral responsibility towards sensitising and mobilising all stakeholders on issues that concern the health and wellbeing of AYPs in our various communities, most especially on HIV/PMTCT issues.
“We need to commence strong advocacy programmes for AYP, to inform, educate and enhance involvement of the community on all on-going programmes for women, children on HIV prevention as well PMTCT.
“We need to realise that what we are doing now is important to our generation, and generations yet unborn,’’ she said.
The media consultant also called on journalists to promote issues that would encourage the AYPs to make correct choices in their interest and for the overall development of the country.
“The choices they make today can affect whether we will have an HIV-free society in the future, or whether the country will continue with the burden of HIV in women and children,’’ she added.
Yusuf also tasked parents on the need to inculcate strong religious, social and cultural values, adding that parents need to be good role models for AYPs.
Earlier, Mr Rabiu Musa, the Communication Officer of UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, also called on journalists to respect the rights to privacy of every individual in the interest of peace and development.
“As I said the aimed of the meeting is to provide knowledge and orientation to you (participants) on PMTCT, AYP and HIV/AIDS situation in order to tackle the menace in the country.
“You are to respect the privacy of every individual while reporting, anything you are going to write, you should always have facts and adhere strictly to your professional ethics,” he said. (NAN)
AKW/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

HIV/AIDS: UNICEF task media executives on preventive advocacy

HIV/AIDS: UNICEF task media executives on preventive advocacy
By Awayi Kuje
Media
Keffi (Nasarawa State), Aug. 29, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on media executives to scale up public enlightenment on the growing rate of HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Nigeria.
Mr Rabiu Musa, the Communication Officer of UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, made the call on Wednesday in Keffi at a meeting with some media executives in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Musa said the fund was alarmed with the high prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Nigeria and underscored the need for journalists to raise public awareness towards combating the menace.
He said UNICEF was partnering with the National Orientation Agency, State Governments, media, traditional rulers, religious leaders, healthcare experts and civil society organisations, among others, to enlighten youths on the dangers of the scourge.
He said the collaboration was focused on the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and HIV/AIDs in order to tackle the spread of the scourge in the country.
According to him, the aimed of the meeting was to provide knowledge/orientation to media executives on PMTCT, AYP and HIV/AIDs situation so as to tackle the menace in the country.
“The aim is also to review and document programme of the media and organisations in the state in supporting the dissemination of PMTCT, AYP/HIV and AIDS messages.
“To leverage airtime and produce links for dissemination of PMTCT, AYP/HIV and AIDS messages.
“And also to develop media plans by the participating media houses for implementation,“ he said.
The official therefore enjoined the participants to appreciate the magnitude of and map out strategies on how to address the challenges on PMTCT, and Adolescent and Young Persons (AYP) in the society.
Besides, Musa called on the media to upscale to educate the public on the dangers of the scourge considering its negative effect to societal development.
He restated the commitment of UNICEF to continue to partner the state and other organisations in order to tackle the scourge in the country.
“We want to work towards addressing HIV/AIDS in Nasarawa State as the state that is one of the growing states in terms of HIV/AIDs,” he said.
Alhaji Galadima Soba, the Kaduna State Director of NOA, urged the participants to develop a good media plan for implementation and use of existing programmes for effective dissemination of PMTCT, AYP, HIV and AIDS messages worldwide.
Soba, who was represented by the state’s Deputy Director, Human Resources and Finance, Malam Hamza Audu, called for more systematic and improved packaging of the various messages in more effective ways on awareness creation of PMTCT, AYP, HIV and AIDS.
“I am optimistic that with the right attitude and inputs of the calibre of the participants here-present to develop a good media plan for implementation and use of existing programmes for effective dissemination of PMTCT, AYP, HIV and AIDS messages worldwide,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting will undertake an overview of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nasarawa State, share experiences from Kaduna State and adopt action plans for increased enlightenment, among others. (NAN)
AKW/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Blood donation: NGO solicits media support

Blood donation: NGO solicits media support
NAN-HG-1
Blood
‎By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Bauchi, March 12 , 2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State Coordinator of MamaYe – Evidence for Action (E4A), an NGO, Mr Gideon Poki has called on journalists to enlightenment and mobilise the public on the advantages of safe blood donation.
Poki made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent on Monday in Bauchi.
“Blood donation is a vital life-saving process but low awareness about the importance of blood donation can impact the safety and adequate supply of blood in hospitals.
‎“We have poor attitude to blood donation among the donors in the country and some knowledge gaps about blood donation,’’ he said.
He urged media practitioners to raise public awareness and practice of blood donation to prevent further loss of lives, especially of mothers and children.
He said the awareness would also improve the status of Maternal, Newborn Child Health Care (MNCH) in the country.
‎“Awareness about blood donation among donors at a specialised tertiary level and public hospitals showed that age, gender, education level and marital status affected the blood donors’ willingness to donate.
‎“Majority of people did not know the required haemoglobin level to donate blood and the volume of blood in each donation, indicating that more awareness needed to be delivered to the target groups,’’ he said.
‎Poki noted that some donors were aware about blood donation and they had a good attitude, but needed more awareness.
‎He advised that journalists to use clear, simple and consistent messages by using health education materials to the target groups for mass encouragement.
“Journalists can play an important role by creating opportunities for blood donations through psychological factors to influence peoples’ willingness to donate blood.
“Education had positive influence on attitudes towards blood donation as well as blood donors’ satisfaction to the time and location of donation.
‎“Although most common misconceptions about blood donation were the risk of infection, selling donated blood to patients and that blood donation believed to cause physical weakness,’’ he said. (NAN)
MAK/ACO/MST
Edited by Abiodun Oluleye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Stakeholders task media on development reporting

Stakeholders task media on development reporting

NAN-HG-2
UNICEF
By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja, Feb. 1, 2018 (NAN) Stakeholders on Thursday challenged the media on development reporting that would spur policy makers to action.

The stakeholders included the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, and the academia.

The stakeholders made the call in a statement issued at a media dialogue on data driven reporting organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information on Thursday in Enugu.

According to the statement, Dr Nancy Katu-Ogundimu, Fellow of Art, University of Jos, enjoined newsmen in her paper: “The role of journalists in development’’, to be more active in the coverage and reportage of news that would benefit the public rather than human angle stories.

Katu-Ogundimu, who identified development journalism as cutting across agriculture, gender, health and child rights, among others, emphasised that such report stimulate dialogue and facilitate social change in societies.

She noted that development reporting or journalism could be used to promote cooperation between citizens of a country and outside world and as well encourage investigation.

According to her, through this reporting the media can be part of social development or assist to stimulate development by government and other policy makers.

She further said such reporting could facilitate the role of journalism in promoting democracy and political facilitation.

“Development reporting is different from general reporting in the sense that it is a process not an event focusing on Who and Why.
“Field reporting and follow up are integral part of development reporting,” she said.

The statement also quoted Mr Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF Communication Specialist, explaining that the training was aimed at empowering the media with the knowledge of how to derive stories from data and the 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report.

Njoku emphasised that at the end of the workshop the media should be able to utilise MICS report to generate media advocacy stories on improvement of situations in the country.

According to him, the journalists will as well be acquainted with skills on data driven reporting, among others.

Similarly, Mr Olumide Osanyinpeju, Assistant Director, Child Right Information Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, identified data collection and dissemination as essential elements to policy making and evaluation function.

Osayinpeju emphasised the need to use data or figures accurately in the advocacy reports of development partners like UNICEF and other agencies was paramount to the Nigerian government to guard against contentious issues.

He said the MICS and National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) were initiated and designed to assist countries including Nigeria in filling data gaps for measuring human development in general and situation of women and children in particular.

These surveys, according to him, have been instrumental in strengthening national statistics capacities highlighting and filling gaps in quality data, monitoring and tracking progress toward national and international development goals.

“Data must also be disseminated in a usual friendly way to ensure that they understood and used. It also informs policy decisions and enhance advocacy and public awareness on priority development,” he said.

“As journalists, you can use the medium at your disposal to increase people knowledge on understanding data, interpreting and their uses,’’ he said. (NAN)
FUA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Presidency clarifies funding for 2nd Niger Bridge

NAN-H-103
Bridge
By Donald Ugwu
Abuja, Oct. 24, 2017(NAN) The presidency Vice President’s Spokesman, Laolu Akande, has clarified the error in the publications credited to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on release of fund for construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

The VP’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, gave the clarification on Tuesday following some media quoting of Osinbajo as announcing $2 billion been released for the project instead of N2 billion.

According to Akande, during the APC Governorship campaign in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Oct. 20, Osinbajo had reiterated the Buhari administration’s commitment to keeping its promises to the Nigerian people.

He said that one of those promises was the construction of the second Niger Bridge, adding that the correct amount released was in the official news release he sent on the Vice President’s remarks during the campaign rally same day.

“I did quote the VP as saying that “the Sovereign Wealth Fund paid N2 billion for that same project (Sum paid to the contractor: Julius Berger for early works).

“We will definitely see our second Niger Bridge, we will not make promises we cannot keep,” Akande recalled.

He, however, observed that a short video clip from the event captured on the news segment of a television channel quoted Osinbajo as mentioning “$2bn” and not “N2bn”, which was what he had actually meant to say.

“Mentioning the dollar currency was inadvertent.

“As it happened, the excerpt from the video, which was shared online, was what was quoted in the headlines of some media houses, and in comments on social media.

“The figures were misplaced. Kindly set the records straight, from the speech I had sent.

“Please note, again, the sum provided for this is actually two billion naira (N2 billion),’’ Akande added.

He stated that it was also pertinent to state that the highlight of the rally and Osinbajo’s remarks was the commitment of the administration to improve the country’s transportation network and economy.

“The APC government is a government that will do everything it has promised. We are not making promises for nothing.

“The second Niger Bridge we have been talking about for a long time, but for the first time, the President went by himself to negotiate the facility to do that second Niger Bridge.

“That is why the second Niger Bridge is in our current budget and we have provided for it,” the Vice President was quoted to have stated. (NAN)
DCU/IS
=======
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Health

Nigerians constitute more than half of UNICEF’s social media platform – Official

Nigerians constitute more than half of UNICEF’s social media platform – Official
NAN-HG-9
Respondents
By Vivian Ihechu
Lagos, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that U-Report, it’s unique social media platform to engage with communities on issues that affect them, have more than half of its global respondents in Nigeria.
According to UNICEF, the social media platform has surpassed two million registered respondents in Nigeria as at Oct. 16.
A statement issued by Doune Porter, Chief of Communication, UNICEF, Nigeria, U-Report uses simple Short Message Service (SMS) messages and social media to reach communities around the country.
It also provides an opportunity for community members to share their opinions and drive positive change.
It said that the U-Report relied on volunteer community members, mostly young people, serving as U-Reporters to provide information through conducting polls on issues that affect their communities.
“It is also an important tool for sharing information through message alerts.
“Including the more than two million Nigeria U-Reporters, the U-Report platform reaches communities in 39 countries around the world and has grown to almost 4 million since it was first launched in 2011.
“The first U-Report poll in Nigeria was sent out in April 2014 and since then.
“Also, 169 polls have been run and more than 150 alerts issued on the Nigerian U-Report platform in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Pidgin and English.
“The topics include health, education, safety and security, Internally Displaced Persons, water and sanitation, and violence against children, with results disseminated to Government and other relevant agencies,’’ the statement said.
It quoted Mohammed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, as saying: “Reaching two million U-Reporters in Nigeria is a huge step in community engagement for improved service delivery.
“It provides an even greater opportunity for information sharing, increased stakeholder engagement and transparency as a direct channel of communication between leaders and the people they serve.
“I would like to thank and commend the work of Nigeria telecommunications service providers for their contribution to the establishment and growth of U-Report in Nigeria,’’ Fall is quoted as saying.
Also, Cynthia McCaffrey, Director of UNICEF’s Office of Innovation, said: “To see this level of adoption of U-Report in Nigeria is extremely encouraging.
“It enables UNICEF to realise what is possible if we allow ourselves to think big and strive to reach as many young people as we can.
“As Nigeria makes U-Report increasingly accessible, it also becomes increasingly relevant, as evidenced by the live chat last month on menstrual hygiene,’’ McCaffrey said.
The statement said that since its inception in Nigeria, UNICEF’s main partner on U-Report has been the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which had been a key player in the recruitment of responders.
All states in Nigeria are represented on the platform, with the highest number of U-Reporters registered in Jigawa.
The Office of the Vice President, Nigerian Senators and members of the House of Representatives are using U-Report too.
“They use it to connect with their communities on important issues to find out what needs to be improved or where the focus needs to be in service delivery in their states.
“The most recent initiative is a partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency which was concluded on October 13.
“It will be using the platform to share life-saving information with communities in case of emergencies such as floods and disease outbreaks,’’ it said.
U-Report Nigeria also runs media campaigns where the bi-weekly poll results are shared and experts on the topic are interviewed during radio and television programmes for comment.
A live U-Report chat on menstrual hygiene management in September stimulated more than 10,000 questions from participants and the answers helped to empower girls with useful information.
To become a U-Reporter in Nigeria, one can register on social media by simply sending JOIN to U-Report Nigeria on Facebook or send JOIN as a direct message on Twitter @Ureportnigeria.
By text, send the word ‘JOIN’ to 24453 and voice your opinion. All options are free.
All U-Report polls can be accessed on the public website at “http://www.nigeria.ureport.in. (NAN)
VIV/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Revenue: Expert tasks media to create, deliver relevant brands

Revenue: Expert tasks media to create, deliver relevant brands
NAN-H-27
Revenue
Port Harcourt, Sept. 22, 2017 (NAN) Mr Joe Onuora, Assistant Director, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), has advised media organisations in Nigeria to create and deliver relevant brands to raise their revenue base.
Onuora gave the advice during a discussion session on a paper titled: “Creating Ways of Generating Revenues in the Media’’, delivered by Sindy Foster, at the 13th Nigeria Guild of Editors Conference on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
He said that the Nigerian media industry would generate more money if media organs began to create and deliver brands that were relevant to the target market.
According to him, to generally stay in business, business outfits required the ability to create and deliver products and brands that are really needed within the targeted market.
Onuara further stated that news organisations should start, adding “branding is what makes the difference between two products serving similar needs to the consumers’’.
“Today, people say newspapers carry same reports, but there is a way a particular newspaper can present itself and it will become the most-sought-after.
“When such newspaper earns huge demand, it will certainly sell higher volume and make more money,’’ he said.
The APCON official also urged media organs to connect their brands and products to the right advertising targets, saying; “using the right medium to sell our products is crucial’’.
“Our desire to advertise our brands as media organs must take into account the targets and the medium capable of reaching such targets,’’ he said. (NAN) AZU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Check abuse in online media, new media – Expert

Curb abuse in online media, new media – Media expert
NAN-H-12
Professionalism
By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Sept. 21, 2017 (NAN) A media expert, Malam Isma’ila Funtua, has urged the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to curb abuses in online and social media platforms in the country.
Funtua gave the task in his opening remarks as the Chairman of the 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference and Extraordinary Convention in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Funtua, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) Governing Council, said the media was being attacked by unqualified individuals.
He said that Nigeria was the only country where news published online was made available to readers free without charge.
“The leadership of the NGE should be focussed to advancing journalism practice as watchdog of the society.
“Nigeria is the only country where news online are free which is not so in many countries.
“The NGE should check abuse with focus to avoiding being unbiased and disassociate itself from collecting gratification,” he said.
Funtua also enjoined publishers and media owners to pay salaries of their workers, adding that prompt payment of salaries of workers will discourage gratification in the profession.
He said that the nation’s media industry was fiercely competitive and among the fastest growing sectors in the country. (NAN)
DES/MST
Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/ Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Curb abuse in online media, new media – Expert

Curb abuse in online media, new media – Expert
NAN-H-12
Professionalism
By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Sept. 21, 2017 (NAN) A media expert, Malam Isma’ila Funtua, has urged the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to curb abuses in online and social media platforms in the country.
Funtua gave the task in his opening remarks as the Chairman of the 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference and Extraordinary Convention in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Funtua, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) Governing Council, said the media was being attacked by unqualified individuals.
He said that Nigeria was the only country where news published online was made available to readers free without charge.
“The leadership of the NGE should be focussed to advancing journalism practice as watchdog of the society.
“Nigeria is the only country where news online are free which is not so in many countries.
“The NGE should check abuse with focus to avoiding being unbiased and disassociate itself from collecting gratification,” he said.
Funtua also enjoined publishers and media owners to pay salaries of their workers, adding that prompt payment of salaries of workers will discourage gratification in the profession.
He said that the nation’s media industry was fiercely competitive and among the fastest growing sectors in the country. (NAN)
DES/MST
Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/ Muhammad Suleiman Tola