Safiya Shuaibu, Advocacy and Communication Expert at Nigeria Health Watch, has said Solutions Journalism goes beyond being a simple reporting style, describing it instead as “a movement that asks what is working and what can be learned from it.”
Speaking during a training session for the Solutions Journalism West Africa Fellowship, Shuaibu underscored the power of storytelling in improving public health.
“At Nigeria Health Watch, we believe that powerful storytelling drives better health outcomes,” she said. “Our work combines strategic communication and advocacy to raise awareness, inspiring action to hold duty bearers accountable.”
Shuaibu outlined several of the organisation’s achievements, including advocacy for better maternal health services, efforts to counter health misinformation, and support for reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. She reaffirmed Nigeria Health Watch’s commitment to pushing for equitable access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians.
On the Solutions Journalism approach, Shuaibu explained that it originated from the Solutions Journalism Network and challenges the limits of traditional reporting by closely examining responses to problems assessing their effectiveness and potential for replication.
“It perfectly aligns with addressing disinformation,” she said. “It’s more than a reporting style.”
The West Africa Fellowship, she noted, will offer extensive training, expert mentorship, and editorial guidance to participating journalists, equipping them to produce stories that spotlight effective responses to pressing health issues.
“We believe that as inaugural fellows, you become champions of this approach in shaping the narrative that drives change,” she told the participants.
