Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has called on broadcasting station to make their media available to Nigerian children to air their views.
Nigerian children will be joining the rest of the children in the world to commemorate this year’s International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) on March 7, 2021.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Head, Advocacy (CRIB), Mercy Megwa, this year’s ICDB theme is ‘Unite to reverse the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children”
The theme highlights the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that all children irrespective of their status and situation should enjoy their rights to Survival and Development as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003.
Megwa said the minister’s call is in line with ‘Articles 12 and 14 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ which states that children have the right to form their own views and to express their views freely through the media on matters affecting them.
Explaining what the International Day of Broadcasting is geared towards, Megwa said its aimed at making “the media platforms available for children irrespective of their status, location, ability or disability a chance to promote their rights and to contribute to national development.”
The ICDB is a day set aside for a media campaign by children to promote their rights, especially their right to participation.
The Broadcast Media in Nigeria has participated in commemorating the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting since 1992.
Megwa therefore enjoined broadcasters to open airwaves to the children for this year’s celebration.
