NAWOJ Lagos Holds Congress, Trains Journalists on Ethical Child Reporting, Demands Safer Schools

NAWOJ Lagos Holds Congress, Trains Journalists on Ethical Child Reporting, Demands Safer Schools

By Naomisophy Blog

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State Chapter, has held its Congress and a specialised training workshop on ethical reporting of children, calling on governments at all levels to strengthen security in communities and schools across the country.

The event, held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the NUJ Secretariat, Iyalla, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, was organised to commemorate the 2026 World Day Against Child Labour and focused on enhancing journalists’ capacity to report issues involving children in a safe, responsible and ethical manner.

The programme commenced with the NAWOJ Lagos Congress, during which members of the executive council presented reports on the chapter’s monthly activities and unveiled upcoming projects. The association also invited corporate organisations and development partners to collaborate with it in implementing community-based initiatives.

During deliberations, members expressed concern over the rising insecurity in parts of the country and urged governments at all levels to prioritise the safety of communities, particularly schools. The association condemned incidents of school kidnappings and the killing of innocent citizens, calling for urgent measures to safeguard educational institutions and restore public confidence.

The Congress also celebrated the emergence of Mrs. Damilola Sonayon as the Deputy Governor-designate for the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate. NAWOJ Lagos congratulated her and extended goodwill to female aspirants across political parties in the state, reiterating its commitment to supporting women seeking leadership positions.

Following the Congress, participants attended a training workshop titled, “Ethical Reporting of Children: Issues and Matters Arising on the Child Rights Act, 2003.”

The session was facilitated by Dr. Jide Johnson, Director of Special Programmes at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), who presented data highlighting the challenges confronting children in Nigeria.

According to him, out of an estimated 105 million children in the country, nearly half live in income poverty, while about 4.5 million require humanitarian assistance. He added that 10.2 million children of primary school age and 8.1 million of secondary school age are currently out of school.

Citing the Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022, Dr. Johnson stated that 39.2 per cent of Nigerian children are engaged in child labour, while 22.9 per cent, representing over 14.3 million children, are involved in hazardous work.

He traced the evolution of child protection laws from the 1924 Geneva Declaration to Nigeria’s enactment of the Child Rights Act in 2003, stressing the need for journalists to understand and uphold the provisions of the law in their reportage.

Dr. Johnson also highlighted the four pillars of child rights advocacy: Survival Rights, Development Rights, Protection Rights and Participation Rights, noting that every child deserves access to healthcare, education, protection from abuse and exploitation, and opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

Describing child-focused reporting as a specialised area of journalism, he urged journalists to prioritise the welfare and dignity of children in their work.

“The best interest of the child must remain the overriding consideration in every assignment. Journalists should protect children’s privacy and confidentiality, avoid exposing them to danger, and ensure their reports do not further stigmatise or traumatise vulnerable minors,” he said.

The workshop featured interactive sessions during which participants shared experiences and discussed ethical challenges encountered while reporting stories involving children.

Participants commended the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful, saying it had strengthened their understanding of the Child Rights Act and improved their capacity to report child-related issues professionally.

NAWOJ Lagos said the initiative underscores its commitment to promoting the welfare of women journalists, advancing professional standards in journalism, protecting vulnerable groups and advocating increased representation of women in leadership positions.

The report was signed by the Chairperson of NAWOJ Lagos, Jumoke Falayi Johnson.