NUJ president urges Journalists to enrol in health insurance scheme
Alhassan Yahaya, national president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has urged journalists across the country to take advantage of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for affordable and reliable access to healthcare.
Yahaya made the call in Bauchi on Tuesday during a condolence visit to the state council of the union over the deaths of two veteran journalists, Isa Sulaiman and Calep Yarima.
He said research had shown that less than 1 percent of journalists in Nigeria had any form of insurance, describing the trend as worrisome.
“The health insurance is key and very important to all journalists,” Yahaya said. “By enrolling, journalists are contributing in three areas: universal health coverage of the federal government, reducing maternal mortality, and cutting down out-of-pocket expenses.”
He explained that the existence of health insurance agencies in states provides an opportunity for journalists in government-owned media to register, while those in private organisations can take advantage of the informal sector component of the NHIA.
The NUJ president commended Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, for his efforts to improve the sector, saying the initiative is one of the key programmes of the Bola Tinubu administration to expand access to quality healthcare.
Yahaya added that his leadership is also pursuing reforms to restructure the NUJ secretariat and prioritise training to improve members’ welfare and professional capacity.
