The Federal Government has announced a shift in its public communication strategy, moving from periodic press briefings to direct and structured engagement with service-delivery ministries to ensure Nigerians clearly understand ongoing reforms and their impact.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Wednesday during a strategic visit to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja, as part of efforts to deepen the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Idris said the new approach would prioritise collaboration with key ministries to improve public understanding of government policies, stressing that governance is incomplete without effective communication. He noted that reforms not clearly communicated are often perceived as non-existent.
He commended the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for reforms in disease prevention, primary healthcare revitalisation, medical industrialisation, cancer care expansion and efforts to reduce medical tourism, assuring that the Ministry of Information would deploy its platforms to amplify health sector reforms and promote preventive health awareness nationwide.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, described the visit as timely, noting that while the ministry has recorded significant progress over the past two years, effective communication is essential to building public trust and improving service utilisation.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said health remains central to the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative focuses on strengthening governance, expanding quality healthcare services, boosting local pharmaceutical manufacturing, improving health security and ensuring equitable access to care.
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He highlighted progress in primary healthcare, immunisation, disease outbreak prevention, cancer treatment and health insurance enrolment, noting that many successes in the sector are reflected in crises prevented rather than emergencies managed.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said alignment between the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Health Sector Renewal Blueprint has provided clarity for reforms, citing gains in digital health deployment, power supply to health facilities, workforce management and reduced industrial disputes.
Both ministries reaffirmed their commitment to sustained collaboration to strengthen public awareness and ensure Nigerians fully understand and benefit from ongoing health sector reforms.
