The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has called on Nigerian journalists to hold the government accountable in order to enhance healthcare delivery across the country. Dapo Olorunyomi, Chief Executive Officer of CJID and Publisher of Premium Times, emphasized that the progress of any society and its democracy can be gauged by the quality of journalism practiced within it.
He challenged media professionals to adopt investigative journalism to uncover hidden issues capable of driving policy reforms and improving governance. Olorunyomi also urged journalists to pay more attention to health reporting and ensure their reports are supported by credible evidence.
He made these remarks during a two-day capacity-building workshop titled “Investigative Skills for Covering Nigeria’s Priority Health Challenges,” organized by CJID in Abuja for 50 journalists. According to the organization, it has been continuously improving the skills of journalists across African newsrooms through innovation and the use of digital tools to strengthen reporting.
Bridging Journalism and Health Policy Reform
Speaking on the topic “Reporting that Moves Policy: Bridging the Gap Between Journalism and Health Policy Reform,” CJID Programme Manager Ifeanyi Chukwudi urged journalists to focus on stories capable of influencing policy reforms. According to him, while governments at different levels formulate policies, implementation often remains poor, making the media’s watchdog role crucial.
“Governments at different tiers have come up with several policies while others have also failed to formulate policy; it is also a policy not to have policy, but as journalists, we can make them do the right thing,” he said. He encouraged journalists to pursue impactful reporting that directly improves the lives of citizens.
Addressing Health Misinformation
Lois Ugbede, Editor at Dubawa Nigeria, spoke on “Addressing Health Misinformation in Nigeria” and cautioned journalists against spreading misinformation, especially during health emergencies. She advocated the adoption of the SIFT method — Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace to origin — as an effective fact-checking approach.
Focus on Primary Healthcare
Nike Adebowale-Tambe, who heads the Health Desk at Premium Times, spoke on reporting primary healthcare facilities and structuring investigative projects. She urged journalists to pay closer attention to infrastructure, personnel, medicines, and medical equipment in healthcare centres. According to her, despite huge government spending on the health sector, little impact is being felt at the grassroots level.
