The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Abdullahi Yahya, on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, led a delegation of the union’s national leadership on a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, at his office in the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
The delegation, which included the National Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Hajia Aisha Ibrahim, discussed issues of mutual interest, national development, and possible areas of collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the media.
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In his remarks, Comrade Yahya expressed appreciation to Dr. Pate for granting the audience at short notice, describing the gesture as a testament to the Minister’s commitment to partnership and open communication. He commended Dr. Pate’s remarkable efforts in reforming Nigeria’s health sector, especially the revitalisation of the Primary Health Care Programme and the timely provision of logistics for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
According to him, these interventions have significantly reduced maternal mortality rates, particularly in rural communities. The NUJ President also advocated the creation of a Special Health Trust Fund as an alternative means of financing the health sector. He assured that journalists across the country would continue to support the ministry’s initiatives and reforms aimed at improving health outcomes nationwide.
Comrade Yahya further appealed for collaboration in training and capacity-building programmes for journalists to enhance effective health communication and improve media visibility for the ministry’s activities.
In his response, the Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, expressed appreciation for the visit, acknowledging the crucial role of journalists in promoting public awareness, advocacy, accountability, and action—the “4As” of impactful communication.
Dr. Pate highlighted the ministry’s recent campaign to vaccinate 100 million children against preventable diseases, describing it as a historic initiative in Africa and one of the key achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He pledged continued collaboration with the NUJ to strengthen health reporting and directed ministry departments across the federation to engage NUJ councils for partnership and information dissemination.
The visit ended with an interactive session and a group photograph.
