· Commends UNICEF, Imo Govt for partnership

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on state governments in the South-east and South-south geopolitical zones in the country to jointly tackle the security challenges in their states.

Arising from a two-day conference with the theme ‘’The Media as Partners in Regional Development’’ held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, weekend, the conference in a communique signed by NGE President, Eze Anaba and the General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, also tasked editors to play down on dissemination of information and messages of identified self-seeking groups in the zones promoting insecurity and violence.

The conference, which was organized by the NGE in collaboration with the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and the government of Imo State, targeted 54 editors and media executives in South-East and South-South geopolitical zones.

Observing that active and meaningful collaboration of the media was necessary for a meaningful development in the zones, the conference tasked the media in the region to employ investigative and development journalism, as well as constructive dialogue to support the revival of the unity in the zones.

‘’The media should foster a culture of continuous innovation to reposition themselves at the forefront of digital transformation, rather than resisting it.

‘’The governors of the zones should reenact the synergy, cohesion and unity, which formed the bedrock of the development of critical infrastructure in the past.

‘’Editors and media executives should promote investigative and development journalism as well as promote constructive dialogue to revive the unity in the zones’’, the conference added.

The conference also urged the media to always prioritise children’s welfare in reporting development, and hold states, which have refused to domesticate the Child Rights Act accountable.

‘’Adhere to UNICEF Protocols in reporting and mainstreaming UNICEF principles or protocols in prioritising children’s issues in reporting development matters and condemn through media channels, the superstitious belief of witchcraft practices, which have stigmatised many children in some states of the zones’’, the conference charged editors.

The editors and media executives also observed that the two geopolitical zones have the least amount of data available to development agencies, and resolved to isolate conversations that would lead to generation of necessary data to attract developmental partners to address development challenges in the zones.

While also observing that the two zones are plagued by much more challenges than any other part of the country – where government and development agencies have devoted more intervention funds, the conference stated that no other arm or organisation has the platform and more capacity than the media to promote unity, inclusion and democracy in the region.

According to the conference, ‘’The media play a vital role in sharpening the shared visions of development at community, state, regional and national levels.

‘’The editors and media executives observed that states in the zone had thriving state newspapers that partnered them in the development and decried that almost all of them have either died or remained comatose.’’

The conference further called on the governors in the zones to revive and revitalise all moribund state-owned newspapers in the zones and partner with them in the development of their states

‘’State governments in the zone are also encouraged to fund, give the state owned media houses the free hands to operate in a competitive environment that will enhance the discharge of their roles in the development of the zones’’, the conference added.

The conference specially commended Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State for always collaborating with the media for the uplifting of both the zone and the country, as well as professionalism in media practice

The conference thanked the UNICEF for collaborating with the NGE to host the workshop in Owerri.

The conference, which was chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of Paul University, Awka, Prof Stella Chinyere Okunna, was declared opened by the Imo State Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Chinyere Ekomaru.