The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Yahya, has called for improved welfare packages, comprehensive insurance cover, and safer working conditions for journalists across Nigeria amid growing professional and security challenges confronting media practitioners.

Yahya made the call while delivering a lecture at the 2026 Press Week of the NUJ Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council in Abuja.

He urged journalists to recommit themselves to ethical reporting, press freedom, national development, and the protection of the profession.

Describing the annual Press Week as more than a ceremonial gathering, the NUJ president said it should serve as a period of reflection, professional advancement, unity, and renewed advocacy for ethical journalism and the welfare of media professionals.

“Press Week is not merely a ceremonial event. It is a period of introspection, recommitment, and renewed advocacy for ethical journalism, press freedom, national development, and the welfare of media professionals across Nigeria,” he said.

He identified attacks, harassment, intimidation, poor remuneration, job insecurity, and unsafe working conditions as some of the major threats confronting journalists in the country, stressing that urgent interventions were needed to protect

practitioners and strengthen the profession.

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists remains resolute in advocating for better welfare, improved working conditions, insurance protection, prompt payment of salaries, and greater institutional support for journalists nationwide,” Yahya stated.

He noted that “a journalist who works under fear, uncertainty, or hardship cannot effectively discharge the sacred responsibility of informing society.”

The NUJ president disclosed that the union was engaging government institutions, media owners, development partners, and other stakeholders to prioritise journalists’ welfare and safety, including the establishment of insurance protection for practitioners exposed to occupational hazards.

Highlighting the rapidly changing media environment, Yahya said journalism was facing increasing pressure from digital communication, artificial intelligence, citizen journalism, and the growing spread of misinformation and disinformation.

Despite the challenges, he commended Nigerian journalists for their resilience, courage, and commitment to truth and accountability.

“Journalists are custodians of democracy,” he said, adding that a vibrant and independent press remains critical to transparency, justice, and good governance.

“Without a vibrant and independent press, democracy itself becomes vulnerable,” he added.

Yahya also praised the NUJ FCT Council for its role in strengthening professional journalism and promoting media excellence in the nation’s capital, commending members for their dedication and unity.

On professionalism, the NUJ president urged journalists to embrace capacity building and adapt to emerging technologies, noting that the future of journalism belongs to practitioners who are adaptable, fact-oriented, technologically driven, and ethically grounded.

He also urged security agencies to protect journalists carrying out lawful duties, insisting that democracy thrives where the media operates freely without intimidation or fear.