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Stakeholders on migration reporting have underscored the need for creation of a better platform to ensure effective coverage and implementation of the national policy on migration issues. They expressed this concern at the ongoing two days capacity building workshop for media agencies on migration reportage, organised by Civil Society network on Migration and Development in Abuja. They said that there was indeed an urgent need to put in more effort to report issues of migration correctly and enhance scope of migration reportage networks.
        Prof. Anthony Kanu of Tansian University, Umunya in Anambra State, said that government had been doing a lot “when it comes to migration”. Kanu noted that government was partnering with international organisations for migration in the area of assistance to return and reintegrate migrants. According to him, the government of Nigeria has entered into numerous migration-related bilateral and multilateral relationships with countries and organisations. Government has produced a policy is which not just for Nigerians in Diaspora, but policies that will help other nationals who are in Nigeria in protecting their fundamental human right based on international standard. The government has also done a lot in the area of developing platforms that will help Nigerians who will like to work abroad to follow through due process in migrating to other parts of the world, he said. Similarly, the Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Mr Frantz Celestin said that migrants, whether of regular or irregular status should be accorded their fundamental human rights. Represented by Dr Adebanke Ogun, Programme Assistant, Data and Policy, IOM, Celestin said that the capacity building workshop would equip the media practitioners with requisite knowledge to give proper narrative on migration governance.
        Also speaking, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Sen. Basheeru Mohammed said that with the media the Commission would achieve the goal of changing the negative migration narratives. Represented by Mr Charles Anaelo, Coordinator, Technical Working Group of the Commission, Mohammed said that this issue was of  global importance. According to him, public opinion which is molded by the media most of the time determine the policies, actions and implementation of everything about migration. And it is our hope that we will continue to engage you not just as an outside body but as members of Technical Working Group. We want to integrate you so that you will form a very big pillar on the issues of migration management, because without you we cannot achieve it. You are the one that will take it to the grassroots. The participants also appreciated the organisers of the workshop, saying that the programmes were very educative. The participants at the training of media practitioners included representatives of key media outfits (electronic, print, social media) from within and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. (NAN)