Network of Reproductive Health Journalists Elects New Officers
The Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria (NRHJN) has elected new officers to run its ongoing campaign on sexual and Reproductive health, rights and policies for the next three years.
At the just concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists which was held virtually, Editor, Healthstyleplus Mrs. Yinka Shokunbi emerged the President while Editor with Abubakar Rimi Television, Kano’s Nasir Yusuf is the Vice President.
The new officials who were unanimously elected unopposed during the 2020 AGM also included Editor, Smartview Magazine, Sekinah Lawal (National Secretary), Radio Lagos Director, Tosin Odusola (Assistant Secretary), FRCN’s Julie Ekong (Treasurer) and Abia State Ministry of Information’s Nma Ozioma Onwuka-Okereke is the Financial Secretary.
Other elected officers are Vanguard’s Health Editor Sola Ogundipe as Program Advisor, Bauchi State Television Editor, Elizabeth kah emerged the Welfare/Publicity Secretary, This Day’s Martins Ifijeh is the Internal Auditor while Abuja Enquirer’s Ijeoma Ukazu and Joy Olabisi Akpaida of Daar Communications, Benin are ex- officio members.
Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, Dr. Hauwa Shekarau is returned the Legal Adviser to the Network.
Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman, Dr Ejike Oji who is the Chairman, Association of Advanced Family Planning of Nigeria (AAFP) and Dr Ejike Oji Community Development Foundation, chaired the AGM and was the observer during the AGM/Elections
Oji appreciated the contribution of the Network to issues relating to Sexual and Reproductive Health and rights and policies in its ten years of existence.
He charged the newly elected officers to be upright and committed to uplift the principles of rights of women to their Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Also applauding the election of new executive committee, chairman, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, who is also a member of the BOT, encouraged the exco to reach out more in promoting equity and access of women to reproductive health services that enhance their dignity.
She urged the leadership of the Network to put commitment on the front line of media advocacy for promoting gender issues “because there is still a lot of work to be done in eliminating gender based violence on all spheres of our lives as a nation”.
On her part, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch, Dr. Hauwa Shekarau, who is the Legal Adviser and member, BOT, noted that the Network has shown in ten years that it is a media advocacy group to be reckoned in the SRHR space.
She charged the new executive to continue to strengthen the capacity of its members across the country through continued programmes of development and engagements so that more visibility would be given to issues of women, girls and persons rights to making informed decisions and right choices in their sexual and reproductive health.
The NRHJN was formed in April 2010 with the support of Ipas, Nigeria as a media advocacy group to be a communication bridge between SRHR partners and the public at a time when it was difficult for the public to appreciate the works of most partners, the importance of sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls and protection against gender based violence.
The concerted media advocacy of the Network has been instrumental to the birth of VAPP Law and its continued adoption in several states of Nigeria.
The Network has also been on the front line in the Gag Rule campaign, access to Family Planning services/ Contraceptives of choice and eduction on elimination of harmful practices that violates reproductive health and rights of women especially gender based violence such as rape among others.
The Network is a registered media not for profit group with membership that cuts across all genre of the media and in 20 states with State Coordinators.