The media has been described as a dependable ally of the government in national development.
The acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Immanuel Igbinosun, made the assertion while speaking in Abuja at the opening of a one-day workshop for the Labour Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (LACAN).
Mr Igbinosun stressed that, as a partner of the government in its developmental agenda, there is the need for the media to report government’s activities effectively.
HappeningNow: One-Day Workshop on:
Strategic Reportage On
Job Creation/Employment Generation, organised for Labour Correspondents, by the Press and Public Relations Department, holding at OSGF Conference Room, Federal Secretariat, Phase One, Abuja pic.twitter.com/Rn8Dfmnsx9— Federal Ministry of Labour (@LabourMinNG) November 6, 2023
“The workshop was organized for the understanding and strategic reportage of the job creation and employment generation aspect of the ministry’s mandate.
“The workshop will focus on deepening the knowledge of the labour correspondents in the functions of the ministry in achieving that.
“Journalists and the mass media have a critical role to play in the success of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“You have the task of educating the public on the activities of government towards delivering on its Renewed Hope Agenda.
“As one of the eight-point agenda of this administration, tackling unemployment is central to the success of this administration,.
“Every effort and policy of government on it requires adequate publicity and public awareness.
“The media, as dependable allies of government in national development, need to report on them effectively.
“The workshop is also in recognition of the significant role of the media, as a strategic partner to the ministry, in actualizing its mandate and delivering on its services.
“The workshop will focus on deepening the knowledge of the labour correspondents in the functions of the ministry in achieving that,” Mr Igbinosun said.
The acting permanent secretary urged all to work in concert with the federal government in achieving its agenda of generating employment through in-depth and knowledge-based reportage of government’s efforts and policies.
Also speaking, the Director of Employment and Wages in the ministry, Mr Joseph Akpan, said the mandate of the ministry was not primarily to create jobs for unemployed citizens or address issues, “rather the ministry exists to aid the government in power to ensure there is a conducive environment to boost job availability.”
He identified good road networks, effective compensation schemes as well as other contigencies as employment opportunity boosters.
According to him, “the best option for job creation is self employment or entrepreneurship because of the capacity for expansion.”
Speaking earlier, the Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr Olajide Oshundun, whose directorate organized the workshop, noted that many Nigerians hold the belief that the Labour Ministry only settles industrial disputes.
“These insinuations or speculations necessitated the workshop to promote a better understanding of the workings of the ministry.”
“It is hoped that after the training, journalists reporting the ministry will have a better knowledge of the workings of the ministry, and that the knowledge will be reflected in their reportage going forward,” he added.
The Deputy Director, Skills Development and Certification Department in the ministry, Mr Tiza Shaakaa, who was also one of the resource persons, disclosed that the ministry had trained and certified over 70,000 Nigerians between the year 2020 and 2022 in various skill acquisition programmes, aimed at bridging the nation’s unemployment gap.
Acting Chairman of the Labour Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (LACAN), Mr Patrick Abulu, commended the ministry for the efforts to ensure that journalists were educated on the activities of the ministry, saying that such capacity-building should be continuous.
The theme of the workshop was “Strategic Reportage on Job Creation/ Employment Generation for Labour Correspondents”.
