ILO tasks journalists on fight against child labour

5 months ago 34

International Labour Organisation (ILO), through its Action Against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa (ACLAWA), has urged journalists to be actively involved in the fight against child labour.

During a three-day workshop organised for media professionals in Akure, Ondo State, ILO stressed the need for journalists to use their skills in investigative reporting to unearth child labour issues within the state and beyond.

The Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Liaison Office, Vanessa Phala, at the training, urged the media to fulfil its social responsibility to the public by educating Nigerians on international labour standards, fundamental rights at work and the dangers of child labour.

Phala, who was represented by the Programme Manager for the ACLAWA Project, Dr Agatha Kolawole, stated that “the media plays a pivotal role in combating child labour” by raising awareness and mobilising public opinion against the issue.

She said: “By bringing these stories to the forefront, the media educates the public and policymakers about the scale and severity of child labour, thereby creating a sense of urgency and a call to action.”

This heightened awareness is crucial for fostering a societal consensus that child labour is unacceptable and must be eradicated.