By Tony Icheku 


The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike says over 65% of journalists operating in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT has been captured in its recently launched Health Insurance Scheme aimed at addressing the long-standing welfare concerns of journalists working in the FCT

Ike described the Health Insurance Scheme as a historic turning point for the Council, noting that it represents the first structured health insurance programme specifically targeted at journalists in the FCT.

“Journalists dedicate their lives to informing the public and shaping national conversations, yet their welfare is often overlooked. This initiative is about protecting those who work tirelessly to keep society informed", she said

Speaking during the launch of a healthcare initiative by the NUJ FCT Council, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe,  urged philanthropists, political leaders, business executives and religious institutions to support journalists by purchasing health insurance coverage for them.

According to her, journalists play a critical role in society by amplifying the voices of citizens and holding institutions accountable, yet many remain without access to basic healthcare protection.

“My purpose of coming here today is to ask political office holders, religious leaders and individuals who want their voices to be heard to buy health insurance for a journalist,” she said.

She commended the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information, Akin Rotimi Jr., for supporting the programme and helping initiate the insurance coverage.

She also praised Fasawe for providing 150 free health insurance slots for NUJ members and acknowledged the support of the Permanent Secretary in the FCT Health Secretariat, Babagana Adam, who pledged to sponsor 50 additional journalists in memory of his late brother.

Fasawe further announced an additional 50 insurance slots during the event, pushing the coverage to about 65 per cent of NUJ members in the territory. She revealed that about 480 out of the estimated 800 journalists operating in the FCT are now captured under the health insurance programme.

The health official stressed that expanding insurance coverage aligns with the healthcare reforms being pursued by the FCT Administration under the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

She noted that the administration has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward maternal mortality and has expanded access to free antenatal care and delivery services for vulnerable pregnant women across primary healthcare centres in the FCT.

Also speaking, the National President of the NUJ, Alhassan Yahya, said the initiative was a critical intervention given the extremely low health insurance coverage among journalists nationwide.

He revealed that studies show less than one per cent of Nigerian journalists currently have any form of health insurance, leaving many vulnerable to high out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The programme, unveiled during the NUJ FCT Congress attended by more than 450 members, was widely welcomed by journalists who described it as a long-awaited step toward improving the welfare and security of media professionals in the nation’s capital.

Stakeholders at the event expressed optimism that sustained support from government agencies, private organisations and philanthropists would help extend health insurance coverage to all journalists in the Federal Capital Territory.