NOUN Professor Advocates Media Role in Health Rights

On Thursday, during the 42nd Inaugural Lecture at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) headquarters in Abuja, Professor Henrietta Chidinma Onwubere, a Professor of Mass Communications, called for a more strategic media role in promoting maternal and child health rights in Nigeria. She emphasized that broadcasting should evolve from mere entertainment to a tool for public education and advocacy on health issues.

Onwubere highlighted that access to healthcare includes the availability of accurate and understandable health information. She advocated for increased broadcasting in local languages, collaboration between media and health institutions, and empathetic health reporting to empower citizens.

Additionally, she addressed the threat of misinformation on digital platforms, urging journalists to enhance their fact-checking skills. Onwubere recommended that the government invest in media capacity-building and support healthcare journalism.

NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, represented by Professor Shehu Usman Adamu, acknowledged the importance of inaugural lectures in addressing societal challenges.