PREMIUM TIMES journalist nominated for PSHAN health investigation award
Mariam Ileyemi, a journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, has been nominated for the Outstanding Health Investigation Award by the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) for her work on unregulated weight-loss injections.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
A PREMIUM TIMES journalist, Mariam Ileyemi, has been recognized in the Media and Innovative Health Communication category for the 2026 PSHAN Annual Awards. Her nomination stems from an open-source investigation into the poorly regulated market for weight-loss injections in Nigeria, which are often sold without prescriptions via social media and anonymous websites.
Imagine there's a special award for grown-ups who are like detectives, but instead of solving mysteries, they find out important stuff about health. A journalist named Mariam Ileyemi is nominated for one of these awards because she investigated how some medicines for losing weight are being sold online without a doctor's note, which can be really risky. It's like buying candy from a stranger without knowing if it's safe to eat.
Analysis
The nomination of Mariam Ileyemi for a prestigious health investigation award shines a spotlight on the vital role of in-depth journalism in addressing pressing public health concerns across Nigeria. Her specific investigation into the unregulated sale of weight-loss injections without prescriptions reveals a significant gap in consumer protection and regulatory oversight. Such journalistic endeavors are crucial for informing the public about potential health risks and holding relevant authorities accountable, thereby fostering a more transparent and safer health landscape.
Mariam Ileyemi
Mariam Ileyemi, a journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, has been recognized for her significant contribution to health journalism through an open-source investigation. Her work, titled “Social media, anonymous websites drive Nigeria’s poorly regulated weight-loss injection market,” meticulously uncovered how these injections are marketed and sold without proper medical supervision. This nomination underscores the impact of individual journalists in bringing critical issues to the forefront, demonstrating how dedicated reporting can expose hidden dangers within the health sector. Her methodology, utilizing open-source investigation, highlights an effective approach to tackling complex, often clandestine, market practices.
PSHAN
The Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) is the body behind these annual awards, aiming to recognize excellence and innovation within the health sector. By nominating journalists like Mariam Ileyemi, PSHAN emphasizes the importance of media in driving health awareness and accountability. The awards, culminating in an Annual Awards and Gala Night on November 20, 2026, serve as a platform to celebrate efforts that contribute to improving health outcomes in Nigeria. Such initiatives encourage higher standards of reporting and foster collaboration between the private sector and media in addressing health challenges.
Weight-Loss Injection Market
Ileyemi's investigation specifically targeted Nigeria's poorly regulated weight-loss injection market, revealing a concerning trend where these products are promoted and sold through social media and anonymous websites without the necessary prescriptions. This unregulated environment poses substantial health risks to consumers who might use these injections without medical consultation or understanding potential side effects. The exposure of this network of anonymous websites highlights the challenges regulatory bodies face in monitoring and controlling online sales of pharmaceutical products. This situation calls for urgent attention from health authorities to implement stricter regulations and enforcement mechanisms to protect public health.
Key points
- Mariam Ileyemi, a PREMIUM TIMES journalist, is nominated for the PSHAN Outstanding Health Investigation Award.
- Her nomination is for an open-source investigation into Nigeria's unregulated weight-loss injection market.
- The investigation exposed how weight-loss injections are sold without prescriptions via social media and anonymous websites.
- The Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) will announce award winners on November 20, 2026.
- The award highlights the importance of investigative journalism in addressing public health concerns.
The nomination of Mariam Ileyemi for this prestigious award could inspire more journalists to pursue in-depth investigations into public health issues, leading to greater transparency and accountability in Nigeria's health sector. Such recognition can also encourage regulatory bodies to address the identified gaps, ultimately protecting citizens from harmful, unregulated products.
Despite the recognition, the underlying issue of a poorly regulated weight-loss injection market might persist, continuing to pose health risks to unsuspecting consumers. Without concrete regulatory action and enforcement following such investigations, the public could remain vulnerable to products sold without proper oversight.
