NUJ Seeks Labour Ministry Partnership on Journalists’ Welfare, Labour Reporting
Nafisat Makinde, Abuja
The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT, has called for closer collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to strengthen labour reporting, improve journalists’ welfare, and enhance public awareness of the Ministry’s programmes and activities.
The appeal was made during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the Chapel, Mr. Felix Ojo, who led executives and members of the Chapel to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Kamil Ayinde Shoretire, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. Dr. Shoretire was recently appointed Permanent Secretary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and deployed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. Before his appointment, he served as Director and Head of the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. He received the delegation alongside directors and other senior officials.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Shoretire described the media as a critical partner in advancing the Ministry’s mandate and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing journalists with timely and accurate information.
“Thank you for coming. We are partners, and we would like to continue to strengthen our partnership. We will continue to provide the right, appropriate and correct information to Nigerians on what we do here,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the Ministry’s responsibilities extend beyond resolving disputes between employers and employees. According to him, the Ministry formulates labour policies, promotes harmonious industrial relations, inspects workplaces for compliance with labour laws, enforces international labour conventions ratified by Nigeria, promotes occupational safety and health standards, and resolves labour-related complaints through mediation and other statutory mechanisms.
He also urged journalists to verify information before publication, warning that misinformation circulating on social media often distorts public understanding of government activities.
“The advent of social media has made it easy for people to post unverified information as facts. We are easy to reach. Come to us to get the facts,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Chapel, Ojo said the visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation with the Ministry while encouraging broader media coverage of labour and employment issues beyond industrial disputes.
“Most of the stories we see are about conflicts between labour and employers. From all you have mentioned, the Ministry is doing a lot. We want to collaborate with you in news reporting and increase public awareness of your programmes beyond conflict stories,” he said.
Ojo appealed to the Ministry to partner with the Chapel through periodic capacity-building programmes, professional training, welfare support and other institutional initiatives aimed at improving journalists’ productivity and strengthening labour reporting. He also sought the Ministry’s intervention in promoting journalists’ safety and addressing cases of harassment and unlawful arrest of media practitioners.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Chapel’s Cooperative and Investment Committee, Mr. Raymond Nyayoti, appealed to the Ministry to facilitate partnerships with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and other relevant institutions to strengthen the Chapel’s cooperative society and improve members’ welfare.
“We are not asking for direct financial support. We are seeking collaboration with relevant agencies that can help strengthen our cooperative and improve the welfare of our members,” he said.
Responding, Dr. Shoretire assured the delegation that the Ministry would consider the requests within its statutory mandate. He directed the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Annah Daniel, to serve as the liaison between the Ministry and the Chapel by coordinating communication, facilitating information sharing and identifying areas where the Ministry could appropriately intervene on issues affecting journalists.
The meeting ended with both parties reaffirming their commitment to closer collaboration, improved information sharing and initiatives that will promote responsible labour reporting, journalists’ welfare and a better public understanding of labour and employment issues in Nigeria.