By Danjuma Amodu
The Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has called for a structured partnership with the media to promote women’s leadership, strengthen gender-sensitive reporting and hold governments accountable on policies affecting women and girls.
She made the call at the weekend in Abuja when the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, visited the Centre to explore areas of collaboration.
Benjamins-Laniyi said the media must move beyond reporting activities marking International Women’s Day to consistently highlighting women’s contributions, exposing barriers to their advancement and tracking implementation of policies designed to address their challenges.
She proposed a formal framework involving joint advocacy, public enlightenment, capacity building and regular engagements to improve the quality, depth and visibility of reporting on women’s development.
According to her, journalists remain critical to shaping public understanding of gender issues, influencing policy conversations and ensuring that the experiences of women and girls receive adequate attention in national discourse.
She proposed periodic training sessions, media roundtables and knowledge-sharing engagements to equip journalists to report accurately and sensitively on women’s economic empowerment, leadership, gender-based violence, education and social inclusion.
“Let us invest in the capacity of journalists to report gender issues responsibly and effectively,” she said.
Congratulating Ike on becoming the first female chairman of the NUJ FCT Council in 41 years, the DG described it as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration around women’s representation and leadership.
Benjamins-Laniyi, the Centre’s 16th director-general, stressed that the partnership must translate into measurable results.
“As the 16th Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, I extend a formal invitation to the NUJ FCT Council to become a strategic media partner in advancing the Centre’s mandate,” she said.
To ensure accountability, she proposed that both organisations designate focal persons to coordinate activities, identify priorities and assess progress through measurable indicators including programmes implemented, women reached, stories published and opportunities created.
She also urged the media to give greater visibility to women entrepreneurs, rural women, young innovators, women with disabilities and community leaders whose contributions often receive limited attention.
“The Centre has a mandate to empower women. The media has the power to amplify that mandate. Together, we can turn that power into progress,” she said.
Earlier, Ike said the Council visited to establish a “partnership of purpose” aimed at placing women’s stories, voices and contributions at the heart of national development.
“Our theme is: Women in Journalism: Centring Women’s Stories, Voices and Contributions for National Development,” she said.
Ike said Nigerian women had made significant contributions to families, the economy, culture and democracy, but many of their achievements remained undocumented.
She identified the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame located within the Centre as an important platform for preserving their contributions and said the union was willing to collaborate to document their stories for future generations.
She called for sustained media attention to grassroots and rural women, women in informal employment, women with disabilities and young women whose work often goes unrecognised, and proposed regular features, interviews and intergenerational dialogues involving veteran leaders, emerging professionals and young girls.
Other areas identified for collaboration included public discussions on women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, leadership, health, safety and rights, as well as joint capacity-building programmes to strengthen ethical and gender-sensitive reporting.
Ike also called for greater professional development opportunities for female journalists and increased representation of women in media leadership.
“Women are not merely beneficiaries of policy. They are experts, employers, innovators, caregivers, peacebuilders, taxpayers, voters, traders, farmers, researchers and leaders,” she said.
