Participants during the workshop organized by Lafiya Project in Nigeria held at NUJ Press Center in Maiduguri
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The United Kingdom (UK) partnering Palladium in facilitating the first of its kind, ‘ Lafiya Project in Nigeria’, has engaged media practitioners to create awareness and sensitization on on ethical health financing for health and social service initiatives.
The Borno State Focal Person of the Lafiya Project, Dr. Largema Bukar stated this on Tuesday during a one day training workshop held at NUJ Press Center, Maiduguri.
Dr. Bukar disclosed that the Lafiya programme is also aimed at ensuring the establishment of community based EHF institutions in some selected states of the federation.
According to him, members of the NUJ have been engaged for their role as the voice and eye of the people charged with the social responsibility of educating, enlightening and informing the public in the society due to the essential and professional role the media practitioners play in the society in sensitizing the people on the establishment , importance abd benefits of the Lafiya project to people in the society.
Giving an overview on the Ethical Health Financing at the Workshop, Dr. Largema added that the project had since commenced in some states mentioned above and is at various stages of implementation after the sensitization and awarenesses campaigns by the media in those states.
He also said the programme is further aimed at strengthening and consolidating on health services in the five northern states of Nigeria, namely, Jigawa, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe , and Kaduna states.
Largema also noted that the programme can not be achieved without the significance role of the media as stakeholders to create awareness and sensitize the general public on the importance and benefits of the project. He further commended the leadership of the state NUJ for its support and cooperation with the organizers of the workshop and facilitators of the project.
On his part, Professor Babakura Gadai, who s also a facilitator and resource person of the Lafiya Project, explained that the workshop objectives include – plan to engage Media Practitioners to ensure sensitisation and creation of awareness on Ethical Health Financing through the formation of Waqf and Zakkat Foundations at strata of the society.
Others include to agree on role and responsibilities of media practitioners with regard to Ethical Health Financing at societal level, to sensitize other media outlets on the need for and importance of Ethical Health Financing.
Prof. Gadai also expunged on the concept, practice and role of EHF (Zakat and Waqf as social welfare system in Muslim communities) while Alh. Abba Bukar, the Lawan of Mai Sandari highlighted the Ethical Health Financing Institutional Framework among others.
In his paper presentation, another resource person, Prof. Mohammed Bello of University of Maiduguri dwelt extensively on his papers titled, ” Waqf: The Past, Present, and Future ” and “Waqf Foundations Here in Borno?”
Professor Gadai also presented a paper titled, “Resource Mobilisation and awareness creation for EHF” before conducting a Group activities to Develop a Media Framework to Support EHF through Waqf and Zakkat that will be community based participatory in terms of establishment, management and operations to suit the environmental, cultural, social abd economic .
