Hajia Rafat Salami, an Assistant Director at the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and trainer at an ongoing gender equity and safety training program argued for amending the Cyber Crime Act to ensure it doesn’t hinder journalists from fulfilling their constitutional duty.
Salami’s remarks came during a three-day training session on Gender Equity, Safety/Gender Sensitive Reporting held in Ilorin on Wednesday. She expressed concern that the current Cyber Crime Act provisions could restrict journalists from effectively carrying out their work.
“Many journalists are unaware of the specifics within the Cyber Crime Act,” Salami said. “If we understood the act fully, we wouldn’t be here without demanding its amendment. It poses a clear roadblock to our work.”
Salami emphasized the unique role journalists play: “We are the only profession recognized by the Constitution with the right to carry out investigative reporting. Amending the Cyber Crime Act is essential for ensuring we can fulfil this responsibility.”
While advocating for journalists’ rights, Salami acknowledged the importance of accompanying responsibilities. She addressed the issue of sexual harassment in workplaces, stressing the need for increased awareness.
“Educating staff members on how to uphold the workplace sexual harassment policy is crucial,” Salami stated, drawing on her experience as the former Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council.
Salami proposed several actions for the NUJ to take: securing representation on Workplace Complaints Committees, conducting self-defence workshops, and empowering women to report harassment incidents.
Safety was another key point highlighted by Salami. “No story should ever come at the cost of a journalist’s life,” she asserted. Salami urged participants to be prepared for unexpected emergencies that might arise during their work.
The training program, organized by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in collaboration with the Norwegian Union of Journalists (Norsk Journalistlag), included 30 participants, with 25 female and 5 male journalists.
