Dr Abdul Ibraheem, Rector, Yaba College of Technology, urged Nigerians to revive walking culture.
Ibrahim made this known during the Nigerian Union of Journalists and News Agency of Nigeria (NUJ-NAN) 2026 Press Week fitness walk.
The walk started at Yaba College of Technology, with free medical screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, diabetes, and eye conditions.
Ibraheem said the event highlighted the importance of health, noting that walking and trekking could contribute to better health and wellbeing.
“Through this, I want NUJ-NAN to bring back that habit of trekking, that habit of walking. When you walk, you become alive,” he said.
He urged workplaces to promote healthy living among staff by giving them time to stretch and participate in physical activities.
Speaking on partnership and support for societal health and well-being, Patience Ngene, District Governor, Lions Club International, District 404B4, said the club partnered with NUJ for three years.
Ngene said the partnership had impacted more lives and supported communities.
She said the partnership at the 2026 NUJ-NAN Press Week fitness walk was aimed at reaching more people through free medical services and eyeglasses.
Ngene said the club provided 500 eyeglasses at the event, alongside blood pressure and blood sugar screening.
She added that 1,000 eyeglasses would be provided during the club’s eye-screening programme in Ibadan.
Similarly, Leticia Ojugberi-Okeyi, Chairperson, Lions Club District 404B4 Paediatric Diabetes, 2026/2027, urged people to undergo regular blood pressure, glucose and eye checks.
She said the screening had identified individuals with previously undiagnosed high blood pressure.
“My advice to them is they should not make it a yearly check-up. They should do it frequently,” Ojugberi-Okeyi said.
Mr Yunus Yusuf, Chairman, NUJ-NAN Chapel, said the fitness walk was organised to promote journalists’ health and enable them to bond and fraternise during the annual Press Week.
He said journalists often prioritised their stories and headlines over their health, making regular medical checks important for knowing their health status.
Yusuf urged media organisations to encourage journalists to undergo regular health checks, saying this would help reduce untimely deaths among media workers.
Mrs Vivian Ihechu, Chairperson, Local Organising Committee, NUJ-NAN 2026 Press Week, said NAN management prioritised regular health checks and healthy lifestyles.
She advised staff to pause and seek care when health concerns were identified.
Ihechu appreciated Yaba College of Technology, Lions Club and other partners for supporting the fitness walk and making the health activities successful.
The event featured the presentation of an award of recognition to the Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Dr Abdul Ibraheem, for his consistent support and partnership with NAN. (NAN)
