The Osun State Coordinator of Moniepoint , Olufemi Olaniyan, has urged business owners to prioritise their health, warning that neglecting personal well-being could undermine business continuity, productivity and expansion.
Olaniyan gave the advice on Friday during a health walk organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, as part of activities marking its 35th anniversary.
He said the initiative was aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs and other professionals to adopt healthy lifestyles, noting that many business owners devoted considerable time to their businesses without paying adequate attention to their physical well-being.
According to him, maintaining good health is essential to sustaining business operations, as the person managing an enterprise plays a significant role in its growth and long-term survival.
“We deal with a lot of businesses across the state, and we know that many business owners engage in business activities without taking care of their health,” he said.
Olaniyan explained that the partnership with the NUJ for the health walk was informed by the need to promote physical fitness among people whose demanding schedules often leave little room for exercise.
He urged entrepreneurs across Osun State and Nigeria to monitor their health regularly, exercise consistently and avoid allowing the pursuit of profit to overshadow their well-being.
“The life of a business depends on the life of the owner of the business. If you are not healthy, no matter what you have, the money may not be valuable to you,” he said.
The Moniepoint coordinator added that healthy business owners would be better positioned to manage their enterprises, explore expansion opportunities and contribute to national economic growth.
He maintained that prioritising personal health should be seen as an investment in business sustainability rather than a distraction from commercial activities.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the NUJ, Osun State Council, Comrade (Dr.) Adeyemi Aboderin, also urged journalists to pay greater attention to their health, warning that the demands of daily assignments and the responsibility of keeping the public informed often leave media practitioners with little time for personal well-being.
Aboderin observed that journalists frequently prioritised their professional responsibilities over their health despite the physical demands of moving from one assignment to another while working under tight deadlines.
“Journalists are too busy to take care of their health. We are too busy to go for medical check-ups. We are more focused on letting members of the public know what is going on,” he said.
The NUJ chairman urged members to sustain the exercise beyond the anniversary celebration, recommending 10 to 15 minutes of walking before work and regular physical activity at least twice a week.
He also reflected on the council’s 35-year journey, acknowledging the contributions of past leaders and members to the growth and sustainability of the union.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Health Walk Committee, Comrade Olawumi Olaniyi, said the initiative was designed to encourage journalists to monitor their health more consistently, particularly given the demanding nature of field assignments and newsroom responsibilities.
She advised members not to allow work to take precedence over their well-being, noting that good health was essential to their careers, family responsibilities and personal lives.
In his remarks, Pastor Segun Progress, who represented the APC candidate for Osogbo Federal Constituency, Hon. Ibrahim Kayode, said regular exercise was an important health practice that people could adopt regardless of their financial circumstances.
He also urged journalists to maintain fairness and balance in their reportage as Osun State approaches another election season, stressing the importance of giving political actors a level playing field through objective coverage.
The health walk was one of the activities lined up for the NUJ Osun State Council’s week-long 35th anniversary celebration.
