FCTA Offers 200 Free Health Insurance Slots To Abuja Journalists

Journalists in the Federal Capital Territory capital, FCT, are to benefit from 200 free health insurance enrollments following a pledge by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe announced that 150 members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, FCT Council, would be enrolled free of charge.

The Permanent Secretary, Babagana Adam, added that he would personally sponsor 50 additional journalists each year in honour of his late brother, Mohammed Alkali, a former senior communications official at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development who was killed in the line of duty.

The announcement was made during a meeting between NUJ representatives and officials of the health secretariat in Abuja.

Dr Fasawe said the initiative was part of broader efforts to promote universal health coverage and encourage preventive healthcare.

“Under the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, enrollees who pay an annual premium of 22,500 naira are entitled to services including maternity care, surgeries and emergency treatment at accredited facilities for one year.

She said poor health-seeking behaviour among residents was often driven by financial constraints and mistrust of the system but pledged improved service delivery.

Responding, the NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Grace Ike, welcomed the development, describing it as a step toward reducing the financial burden on journalists.

She called for continued collaboration to combat misinformation and expand healthcare access across the territory.

Oduyemi Odumade