The Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has partnered with Ahmadiyya Hospital, Ijaiye, Lagos State, to provide journalists with access to medical services as part of efforts to promote their health and well-being.

The partnership followed a meeting held on Friday, November 6, 2026, between the hospital’s management and a NASRE delegation led by the association’s President, Omotolani Oseni.

Also present at the meeting were NASRE’s Director of Media and Publicity, Lateef Owodunni, and Director of Welfare, Adeyemi Obadimu.

The meeting focused on the hospital’s participation in NASRE’s medical outreach scheduled for November 25, 2026, at the hospital’s facility in Ijaiye.

Speaking during the meeting, Oseni described journalists’ welfare as a major priority for the association, noting that media professionals often devote considerable time to their professional responsibilities at the expense of their personal health.

He said, “Journalists spend so much time working and ensuring that members of the public are informed, but sometimes forget that their own health also deserves attention.”

Oseni recalled that NASRE had undertaken several interventions to support media professionals, including assistance to widows and widowers of deceased journalists and colleagues facing critical health challenges.

He explained that the forthcoming outreach was part of the association’s sustained efforts to improve journalists’ welfare and encourage regular medical check-ups.

Responding, the Managing Director of Ahmadiyya Hospital, Dr Samiullah Tahir, assured the NASRE delegation of the hospital’s readiness to support the initiative, adding that participating journalists would receive professional medical attention.

He emphasised the hospital’s commitment to making healthcare affordable, explaining that its charges were deliberately kept low to enable more people to access medical services.

According to him, the cost of services at the hospital is heavily subsidised, with revenue generated from patients insufficient to independently finance its operations.

“The headquarters provides financial support to sustain the hospitals because what we charge patients is deliberately kept very low and affordable. Our priority is to make healthcare accessible to the people,” Tahir said.

The hospital chief also highlighted its medical infrastructure, including an X-ray machine valued at over ₦50 million, laboratory facilities, a solar power system and other essential medical equipment.

He disclosed that the hospital’s international headquarters had supported the provision of some of the facilities to strengthen its capacity to deliver quality healthcare services.

Tahir further noted that healthcare professionals, like journalists, sometimes neglect their personal health because of demanding work schedules, stressing the importance of taking personal responsibility for their well-being.

He welcomed the collaboration, expressing optimism that the outreach would provide participating journalists with an opportunity to access medical services and become more conscious of their health.

The November 25 outreach is expected to feature medical assessments, consultations and other healthcare services for journalists at Ahmadiyya Hospital, Ijaiye, Lagos State.

The initiative is part of NASRE’s broader commitment to journalists’ welfare and its efforts to promote access to essential healthcare services among media professionals.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government to establish a national salary framework for journalists to address poor remuneration, improve welfare and strengthen protection for media practitioners across the country.

NUJ national president, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, made the appeal yesterday at the fourth edition of the union’s Annual Milestone Recognition of Media Icons in Abuja, held under the theme, “Strengthening Democracy Through Responsible Journalism and Good Governance.”

Yahaya lamented that journalists continued to earn poor salaries despite their contributions to democracy, accountability and national development, as well as the risks associated with their profession.

He urged President Tinubu to approve improved salary structures for journalists, drawing a comparison with the recent salary adjustment for judicial workers.

“If the president can approve and increase the salary structure for judicial workers, why not journalists? The time is now,” he said.

The NUJ president disclosed that the union was working with other professional bodies on a legislative proposal to address journalists’ welfare, with plans to present a bill to the National Assembly.

He also revealed that the union was discussing additional support and remuneration for journalists working in perilous media environments with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

According to him, the NUJ hopes to extend any successful welfare arrangement to journalists across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through engagements with state governors.

Meanwhile, Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to press freedom, transparency and accountability, insisting that journalists must be free to hold government accountable without intimidation or unnecessary restrictions.

Oborevwori stated this in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Johnson Erijo.

He described a free and independent press as essential to democracy, noting that journalists give citizens a voice, promote public debate and ensure that those in authority remain accountable.

The governor recalled the role of journalists in Nigeria’s nationalist struggle, resistance against military rule and the restoration of democracy in 1999. He noted that many suffered harassment, intimidation and unlawful detention, while some lost their lives defending press freedom.

Citing Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Oborevwori said the mass media had a constitutional responsibility to uphold the fundamental objectives of the Constitution and hold government accountable to the people.

He urged journalists to uphold professional ethics, particularly accuracy, fairness and verification, warning that misinformation, hate speech and misleading reports on social media could deepen divisions and undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

He stressed that responsible journalism did not mean shielding public officials from criticism, but ensuring that reports were factual and fairly presented.

The governor also said government had a duty to protect press freedom, promote transparency and accept legitimate media scrutiny, adding that the media should not be treated merely as a platform for publicising government activities.
Yahaya commended Oborevwori for his relationship with journalists, saying the union had not recorded any incident of intimidation, harassment or arrest of journalists by the state government during his tenure.

He also praised the governor’s development initiatives, including road construction, debt repayment and interventions for vulnerable women and children.

Earlier, former NUJ President and chairman of the occasion, Christopher Isiguzo, MFR, urged journalists to resist misinformation, propaganda and divisive narratives ahead of the next general election.

He advised media practitioners to inform without inflaming tensions, hold public officials accountable without becoming partisan and report promptly without sacrificing accuracy.

“We must inform without inflaming, hold power accountable without becoming partisan actors, and report with speed without sacrificing accuracy and verification,” he said.

Isiguzo warned against the use of information as a political weapon, insisting that journalists’ loyalty should remain with truth, public interest and national stability.

He said democracy must go beyond elections to deliver accountable leadership, justice, security and improved living conditions for citizens.

“Regardless of who wins or loses elections, Nigeria must always win,” he said.

The ceremony also honoured personalities for their contributions to journalism, public service, media leadership and community development.

Among the award recipients were Oborevwori; Azubuike Ishiekwene, Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP Group Limited; Comrade Franz Ndulue; Olori Janet-MBA Afolabi, CNN award-winning journalist and Queen of

Apomu Kingdom; High Chief Sewude Adeyinka Amosu; Tabitha Sani Kangiwa; Jibril Muhammed-Bello; Segun Adeniyi; and Comrade Mukhtar Mohammed Gidado.

The recognition celebrated their contributions and underscored the NUJ’s commitment to promoting professional excellence and inspiring the next generation of media practitioners.