The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has appealed to broadcast stations owners across the country to open up their stations to children to enable them celebrate this year’s International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB).
ICDB is being celebrated on March 1, every.
He made the appeal in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Head, Advocacy, Child Rights Bureau (CRIB), Olumide Osanyinpeju, in Abuja.
He explained that the ICDB is a day set aside for media campaign by children to promote their rights, especially, their rights to participation.
Mohammed recalled that the broadcast media in Nigeria had been participating in the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting since 1992.
The Minister further reiterated the need for broadcast media owners give Nigerian children the opportunity to commemorate this year’s ICDB “by making their platforms available for children, irrespective of their status, location, ability or disability a chance to promote their rights and to contribute to national development.
“We therefore, enjoined broadcasters to open their airwaves for children for this year’s celebration,” he stressed.
The Minister further explained that “Articles 12 and 14 of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child say that children have the right to form their own views and express their views freely through the media on matters affecting them. This is what the International of broadcast tries to realise.
“The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Nigerian Children: ‘A generation to be protected.’
“The theme highlights the principle of the Convention on the Right of the Child that all children irrespective of their status and situation should enjoy their rights to protection as enshrined in the Convention on the Right of the Child and the Child Rights Act (2003).”
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