By Amarachi Jim-Nwoko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Journalists in Abuja are being tasked with a new mandate: use the power of the press to stop armed groups from recruiting children.
That call dominated a multi-day workshop organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, with the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security and Journalists for Human Rights (JHR). The training brought together reporters, diplomats and development partners to sharpen skills in ethical, child-centred conflict reporting.
Speaking for NUJ FCT Chairperson Comrade Grace Ike, Council Treasurer Comrade Sandra Chukwugekwu said the media must move beyond documentation to prevention.
“We shape public awareness, influence policy debates, and hold institutions accountable. We can help prevent recruitment by telling accurate, sensitive stories that protect children’s identities and dignity,” she said.
Chukwugekwu warned against sensationalism and urged coverage that examines root causes poverty, lack of education, family breakdown and social marginalisation, while demanding accountability from those who exploit children. She called for coordinated action between government, security agencies, civil society and the press to block recruitment pipelines and bolster rehabilitation.
Dallaire Institute Country Representative Mrs. Offiong Nsa described reporters as frontline human rights defenders.
“Through ethical, child-centred reporting, you can expose recruitment networks and reframe the narrative around children in conflict from perpetrators to vulnerable victims,” she said. The training, she added, gives journalists trauma-informed tools to report safely on cases involving minors.
Journalists for Human Rights Africa Programme Director Mr. Mustapha Dumbuya said the workshop targets practical gaps: ethical reporting, safety in conflict zones, and responsible digital practice.
“Media is a critical entry point for advancing human rights and holding duty-bearers accountable,” he said.
Representing the High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Counsellor (Political) Mr. Omar Alihashi tied the effort to the Vancouver Principles, reaffirming Canada’s support for protecting children in armed conflict.
“Accurate, ethical and responsible reporting by journalists reflects our shared commitment to prevention, partnership and knowledge sharing,” he said.
The workshop continues with sessions on trauma-informed journalism, digital ethics and gender-sensitive conflict coverage part of a growing push to position the media as a bulwark against the exploitation of children.
