The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has urged Nigerian journalists to hold government accountable in order to improve healthcare delivery across the country.

Chief Executive Officer of CJID and Publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, said the development of any society and its democracy could be measured by the quality of journalism practised within it.

He challenged media practitioners to embrace investigative journalism in uncovering hidden issues capable of driving policy reforms and improving governance.

Olorunyomi also urged journalists to pay greater attention to health reporting and ensure their reports are backed by credible evidence.

He spoke during a two-day capacity-building workshop on “Investigative Skills for Covering Nigeria’s Priority Health Challenges,” organised by CJID in Abuja for 50 journalists.

According to the organisation, it has continued to improve the skills of journalists across African newsrooms through innovation and the use of digital tools to strengthen reporting.

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.

Speaking on “Addressing Health Misinformation in Nigeria,” Editor at Dubawa Nigeria, Lois Ugbede, 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.

Also speaking, 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.