The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) office in Nigeria has disclosed that over nine million Nigerian children are abused annually.

UNICEF Communication Officer in Lagos, Mrs Blessing Ejiofor who said this on Wednesday at the opening of a 2-day “Media Workshop on Ethical Reporting on Children”, urged journalists in the country to report child right abuses in tandem with best global practices as the current situation most often leave the victim with more damage.

She said: “We all know that reporting on children and young people has its special challenges. In some instances, the act of reporting on children places them or other children at risk of retribution or stigmatization.”

According to her, the workshop was geared towards creating opportunities for informed and ethical reporting on children by familiarizing participants with the principles and guidelines for reporting on children.

The resource person and UNICEF Media Consultant, Dr. Rauf Goke, insisted that the media should strike a balance between protecting a child from harm and respecting the public’s right to know.