Health Cover For The Fourth Estate: House Press Corps Get Insurance Boost
In a country where healthcare costs often fall hardest on those who can least afford them, small but deliberate interventions can quietly change lives.
That shift played out at the National Assembly this week as journalists covering the House of Representatives received a rare welfare boost, health insurance.
Members of the House of Representatives Press Corps have been enrolled in the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS), following the sponsorship of one-year coverage by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi.
The symbolic presentation of enrolment identity cards marked what stakeholders described as a milestone for journalists’ welfare and Nigeria’s push towards universal health coverage.
Rotimi said the gesture reflects the 10th Assembly’s commitment to supporting journalists who work long hours to keep the legislature accountable, noting that the initiative also aligns with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen’s broader engagement with the media.
He urged beneficiaries to prioritise preventive care, stressing that a healthy press is essential to a healthy democracy.
Representing the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services Secretariat, Permanent Secretary Dr Baba-Gaba Adam praised the sponsorship as a visionary contribution to expanding access to healthcare, noting that the scheme’s “Adopt and Enrol” programme encourages leaders to cover others.
She revealed that the annual premium stands at ₦22,500 per person and urged more institutions to emulate the example.
The intervention also drew commendation from lawmakers, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike Okafor, and the FCT NUJ Chairperson, Grace Ike, who said improved welfare would strengthen professionalism and accountability in the media.
For the Press Corps, the gesture was more than symbolic. Chairman Gboyega Onadiran described it as a practical step towards universal health coverage, noting that journalists daily witness the toll of unaffordable healthcare on Nigerian families.
Stakeholders said the partnership offers a model of how legislative leadership, health authorities and the media can work together to advance public welfare while strengthening democratic institutions.
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