Headlines
UNICEF urges ethical reporting to protect children, promote trust
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Media practitioners in Kano and Jigawa States have been urged to uphold ethical standards in reporting, particularly on issues involving children, to safeguard their dignity and promote societal trust.
KANO FOCUS reports that this call was made by Dr. Karanveer Singh, Officer-in-Charge and Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kano, during a keynote address at a training on Ethical Journalism and Child Rights held in Dutse on Wednesday.
Addressing participants, Dr. Singh commended journalists in the region for their dedication, noting that they often operate under challenging conditions to inform the public. He described journalism as a vital service to democracy and community development.
Dr. Karanveer Singh
He stressed that ethical reporting of children is not merely a workshop theme but a fundamental pillar for building a responsible society, especially in regions facing insecurity and social tensions.
According to him, ethical journalism fosters trust and helps bridge divisions in diverse societies. He explained that accurate, fair and balanced reporting can counter misinformation and hate speech, while irresponsible journalism could inflame tensions and worsen conflicts.
Dr. Singh also emphasised the need to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children, noting that they are highly impressionable and easily affected by how they are portrayed in the media.
A Cross Section of the Participants
“Children are not miniature adults. Ethical reporting requires protecting their identity, ensuring their dignity, and prioritising their best interests at all times,” he said.
He warned against practices such as publishing identifiable details of child victims, using graphic images, or conducting exploitative interviews, stressing that such actions could cause long-term psychological harm and social stigma.
The UNICEF official highlighted that ethical journalism enhances credibility and professionalism, especially in an era dominated by unverified information on social media. He urged media practitioners to distinguish themselves through integrity and adherence to professional standards.
A Cross Section of the Participants at the training
While acknowledging the pressures journalists face, including security risks and political influence, he urged them to remain committed to truth, fairness and responsibility.
Dr. Singh further called on journalists to play an active role in promoting child rights by prioritising issues such as child protection, education, and wellbeing in their reporting.
He also challenged the media to hold political leaders accountable on child-focused policies, particularly as Nigeria prepares for future elections.
“The choices journalists make every day—what to report, how to report it, and whom to protect—will shape the future of this region and its children,” he said.
The training aimed to strengthen the capacity of media practitioners to report responsibly on child-related issues while promoting ethical standards in journalism across Kano and Jigawa States.
A Cross section of the participants at the training
Rano urges journalists to uphold ethics in child rights reporting
Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director of Radio Kano, Comrade Abubakar Adamu Rano, the station’s UNICEF Focal Person, Mustapha Ahmad Sani, emphasised the critical role journalists play in shaping public opinion and influencing government policies.
Sani, who conveyed the goodwill message of the Managing Director, expressed appreciation to UNICEF for organising the training and commended the resource persons for their commitment to knowledge sharing.
He noted that journalism carries significant responsibility, particularly when reporting on children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society.
“Children need protection, and careless reporting can harm their dignity, expose their identity, or create stigma. However, responsible reporting can safeguard their rights and contribute to building a better society,” he said.
He described the training as timely and essential, urging participants to take full advantage of the sessions by engaging actively, asking questions, and learning from one another.
The training, facilitated by seasoned experts including Dr. Jide Johnson, Jumoke Falayi, and Mr. Lekan Sote, is aimed at strengthening journalists’ capacity to report child-related issues ethically and responsibly.
Participants drawn from various media organisations across Kano and Jigawa States are expected to gain practical insights into best practices in child rights reporting.
Sani concluded by wishing the participants a productive and successful training on behalf of the management of Radio Kano.
In a presentation titled Ethical Principles in Reporting Children’s Issues, UNICEF Kano Communications Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, stated that countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are legally bound to implement its provisions, which are monitored by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Mr. Samuel Kaalu
Kaalu outlined four guiding principles of the convention: non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival, and development; and respect for the views of the child.
In her presentation, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State Chapter, Jumoke Falayi, discussed the considerations and challenges of reporting on children across television, radio, digital media, and social media platforms.
Another facilitator, Dr. Jide Johnson, described the media as a protector—not a violator—of children’s rights.
Mr. Lekan Sote, in his presentation, highlighted when journalists should report issues concerning children and when they should refrain, placing strong emphasis on the choice of words used in reporting, depending on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
KANO FOCUS reports that the workshop was designed to strengthen ethical journalism principles, reduce sensationalism, and curb the spread of misinformation in the reporting of incidents involving children.
Headlines
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has unveiled a regional project inspection initiative aimed at showcasing key development projects in Northern Nigeria, while urging journalists and social media influencers to uphold ethical communication and combat misinformation.
Speaking on Monday at the maiden Arewa Media Summit in Kano, organised by his office, Abdulaziz said the gathering was conceived to strengthen dialogue between government, citizens and the media through accountability, responsibility and ethical communication.
He said effective governance depends on transparency, responsible civic engagement and a professional media that serves as a bridge between leaders and the people through factual and balanced reporting.
The presidential aide also cautioned social media influencers, who command large online audiences, to verify information before publication and avoid content capable of creating division, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
According to him, more than 100 All Progressives Congress (APC) social media communicators were trained ahead of the summit to enhance their capacity to communicate government policies, programmes and achievements effectively.
Abdulaziz also unveiled the Gani Ya Kori initiative, a regional project inspection tour designed to spotlight landmark projects executed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Northern state governors that have received limited public attention.
“The initiative will help ensure that citizens are adequately informed about development projects and government interventions across the region,” he said.
The summit also featured a keynote address by the Minister of Information and National Reorientation, Mohammed Idris, who urged journalists and social media influencers to deny bandits and terrorists the publicity they seek.
“The media has an indispensable role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek while promoting unity, resilience and hope,” the minister said.
He stressed that democracy flourishes when government remains transparent, citizens participate responsibly and the media performs its constitutional role with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
Idris observed that while the digital revolution has transformed communication by making every smartphone a broadcasting platform, it has also accelerated the spread of fake news and disinformation capable of undermining national unity and public confidence.
Declaring the summit open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf called on other states to emulate Kano’s Special Reporters Initiative, through which more than 150 young people have been deployed to ministries, departments, agencies and the state’s 44 local government areas to strengthen government communication and public enlightenment.
KANO FOCUS reports that the summit attracted journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, digital content creators, academics, policymakers and communication professionals from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on the theme, “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
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