Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says the Federal Government is shifting from periodic press briefings to structured, direct engagement with service-delivery ministries to ensure citizens clearly understand ongoing reforms and their benefits.
Idris made the statement during a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as part of efforts to deepen the delivery of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Governance is incomplete without communication; what is not communicated is often assumed not to have happened,” he said, explaining that the Ministry of Information is engaging key service-delivery ministries to amplify government actions effectively.
He commended the leadership of the Health Ministry for prioritising disease prevention, primary healthcare revitalisation, medical industrialisation, expansion of cancer care services, and reduction of medical tourism, noting that these reforms directly impact the lives and productivity of Nigerians.
Idris assured that the Ministry of Information would deploy its platforms to promote health sector reforms, enhance preventive health awareness, and ensure accurate dissemination of information nationwide.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said President Tinubu placed health at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda because a healthy population is key to national development and economic growth.
Professor Pate highlighted the Ministry’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, aimed at strengthening governance, expanding quality healthcare services, boosting local pharmaceutical production, improving health security, and ensuring equitable access to care.
“Many successes in the health sector are measured by crises prevented rather than emergencies managed. However, effective communication plays a critical role in helping citizens understand preventive healthcare and government investments,” he said, noting progress in primary healthcare revitalisation, immunisation coverage, disease outbreak prevention, cancer treatment expansion, and health insurance enrolment.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the alignment between the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Health Sector Renewal Blueprint has provided clarity and direction for reforms.
He highlighted improvements in digital health deployment, power supply to health facilities, workforce management, and reduction of industrial disputes.
Dr Salako also noted that Nigeria now has the capacity to manage many medical conditions locally, particularly in cancer care, reducing the need for medical tourism while attracting patients from neighbouring countries.
He stressed the importance of sustained media engagement in building public trust.
The Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, Daju Kachollom, described the visit as timely and strategic, emphasising that effective communication is central to the success of health sector reforms and the enhancement of public confidence and service utilisation.
The visit concluded with both ministries committing to institutionalising collaboration, strengthening public awareness, and ensuring Nigerians fully understand, access, and benefit from ongoing health sector reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
PIAK