The minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has solicited the support of the media in achieving the mandates of the Ministry.
Speaking Thursday in Abuja at a two-day sensitisation workshop organised by the ministry for media practitioners, Farouq said that “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”.
She said: “Let me begin by acknowledging the important role of the media in educating, informing, creating awareness, sensitising 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 emphasised.
“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.
“Since the creation of the ministry, we were mandated to tackle disasters, develop and empower Nigerians, among others. These mandates cannot be achieved without the partnership of key stakeholders, the media inclusive.The ministry, since inception, has recorded a number of achievements in the area of coordination, partnership, interventions, cooperation, sensitisation and prompt emergency response.
“These and many more, the ministry has been able to achieve in the last 20 months, with the collaboration of all stakeholders. 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.”
She added: “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 organised 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.
“I wish to assure you that the facilitators with their wealth of experience in their different fields will do justice to the topics assigned to them. I enjoin all participants to learn as much as they can about the Ministry and the sector. Be free to ask questions and make contributions.
“In conclusion, I urge all journalists covering the humanitarian beat to exhibit professionalism in their reportage and adhere to the ethics of the profession. Always verify information with the ministry and balance your stories before going to the press. The ministry is ready to partner with the media to achieve its mandate.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, of the ministry Bashir Nura Alkali, said that the door of the ministry is always open to journalists whenever they require information on its activities.
He said, “The aim of the workshop is to educate and sensitise participants 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.
“The ministry was established in August, 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari as recognition of the massive need to tackle the nation’s humanitarian vulnerabilities in a cohesive and collaborative manner. There was need to address natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.
“Prior to 2019, government interventions in humanitarian issues have been coordinated by different agencies of government and the ministry was created to serve as a one-stop shop to coordinate all humanitarian issues and interventions across all sectors and levels of government.
“The ministry partners with various stakeholders such as MDAs, security agencies, local and international partners, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations as well as the media. 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.
“The two-day workshop is an interactive one and facilitators which are drawn from within and outside the ministry will be speaking on the overview of the Ministry, functions and responsibilities of the different departments, the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) and role of the media in educating the public on humanitarian issues for national development.
“The ministry appreciates the good work you are doing in the dissemination of information on its activities and achievements. I assure you that the ministry is ever ready to collaborate with the correspondents covering this beat and will try as much as possible to provide necessary information that would assist you in the effective reportage of the ministry and its agencies.”