By Ken Kene, Makurdi

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, has sought a stronger media partnership to amplify issues affecting refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, across Benue State.

Benue State Coordinator of the Commission, Hamza Mohammed, paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Benue State Council, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, on Friday at the NUJ Press Centre, Ankpa Road, Makurdi.

Speaking during the visit, Mohammed said the Commission cannot address the humanitarian crisis without the media.

“Your pen and your platform shape public understanding. We need NUJ to help us tell the true stories of IDPs with dignity, correct misinformation, and mobilize support for their resettlement and livelihoods,” he stated.

He briefed the NUJ Chairman on ongoing interventions by the Commission, including IDP profiling, skills acquisition programs, and plans for durable solutions in affected Local Government Areas.

Responding, Comrade Ugber welcomed the Commission and pledged the Union’s readiness to collaborate.

“Journalists in Benue live with this crisis daily. We will give it the attention it deserves, but it must be accurate, human-centered, and solutions-focused reporting,” the Chairman said.

He added that NUJ will encourage members to undertake capacity training on humanitarian and conflict-sensitive reporting to ensure IDPs are not sensationalized.

Both parties agreed to set up a joint media roundtable and to facilitate press access to IDP camps to enable factual, on-the-ground reporting.