Family planning: Yobe NUJ urges media to air programme free

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Yobe Council, has called on broadcast stations in the state to air advocacy programmes on family planning free of charge.

The Chairman, Alhaji Rajab Mohammed, made the plea in Damaturu during the 2024 end line review meeting of Family Planning Media Team in collaboration with development partners.

According to him, free airtime for such programmes will assist in lifting financial burden on advocacy groups, thereby improving the lives of the people.

He noted that airtime charges, otherwise known as Let Them Pay (LTP), undermined efforts to educate the public on the significance of child birth spacing to reproductive health.

“Child birth spacing programmes on radio and television stations should be free in view of their health and socio-economic benefits to our people,” he said.

The chairman pledged to lead members of the team and development partners to the state-owned radio and television stations to make case for free airtime for family planning programmes.

Mohammed announced that renting NUJ Event Hall in Damaturu was free for family planning programmes and events, inviting the team to hold its subsequent meetings in the hall.

Earlier, the Team’s Chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Musa, lauded The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and the Development Communication ( DEVCOM) for their sponsorship and training of the journalists in family planning advocacy.

He expressed satisfaction with the increase in acceptance of child birth spacing services in the state.

“Data obtained from Yobe Primary Healthcare Management Board has revealed that the number of child birth spacing acceptors have risen to 181, 853.

“Over 200,000 units of child birth spacing commodities were distributed to health facilities across the state,” Musa said.

He said the essence of the meeting was to discuss onthe successes and challenges recorded from two field trips earlier embarked upon by the team to raise awareness on the benefits of child birth spacing.