Media outfits charged to give migration issues better coverage

By Isaac Olamikan, Senior Correspondent, Benin

Media outfits have been advised to place more emphasis on reporting migration related issues appropriately by creating migration reporters desk in their organisation.

The advice was given by Nosa Erhunmwunsee, President of NAME Foundation, at a one day training on Migration Reporting organised by The Migrant Project(TMP) in Benin on Thursday.

Erhunmwunsee who spoke extensively on Irregular Migration, Culture and Media Practice, asserted that reporting migration related issues should be made a sort of special project by media establishments.

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In her own submission, Clare Henshaw, the coordinator of The Migrant Project stated that the organisation is not out to dissuade anybody with the intention of migrating. She said that rather the goal of the organisation is to sensitise, counsel, engage and educate potential migrants.

“We want all those that are desirous of migrating to be well equipped for it so that they can do so the proper way.”

Going further, she stressed: “our mindset needs to be worked on. Irregular migration has become a burden to all of us.

Tayo Elegbede, Media Lead and Facilitator of The Migrant Project said that migration is never in isolation as it is most times tied to many other things.

He counselled migration reporters to be abreast of relevant data and terminologies that are common with migration issues.