The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) have called on the Federal Government and state governors to ensure press freedom and protect journalists.
Joint Statement
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, in Abuja.
They also urged the government to urgently end the escalating insecurity in the country.
Call Ahead of Press Freedom Day
The groups said, “As the international community marks World Press Freedom Day tomorrow, SERAP and the Nigeria Guild of Editors are calling on the government of President Bola Tinubu, state governors, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to ensure press freedom, protect journalists, and urgently end escalating insecurity and widespread human rights violations across several parts of northern Nigeria, including Benue, Plateau, Borno, Sokoto, and Kwara states.
“We note that protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity are central to peace, security, and democratic stability.”
Media Key to Stability
According to the groups, any credible peace, recovery, or security strategy must integrate information integrity and support for free, independent, and pluralistic media, alongside humanitarian, institutional, and economic responses.
“The erosion of independent journalism and civic information ecosystems directly contributes to governance breakdown.
“When journalism is weakened through intimidation, repression, or impunity for attacks against media professionals, corruption thrives, accountability declines, and misinformation spreads,” they said.
Link Between Information and Violence
They added that in such environments, information-related harm often precedes physical violence, deepening insecurity and undermining public trust in state institutions.
The groups stressed that strengthening media freedom, protecting journalists, and ensuring access to reliable information are essential components of any sustainable response to insecurity in Nigeria.
Need for Accountability
According to them, these measures are critical not only for documenting violations but also for preventing them, ensuring accountability, and supporting early warning mechanisms in conflict-affected communities.
“We reiterate that efforts to address insecurity and human rights violations in Nigeria must include concrete commitments to protect journalists, strengthen media institutions, and safeguard the free flow of credible information as a foundation for accountability, peace, and democratic resilience,” they said.
UNESCO Theme Highlighted
The groups noted that the UNESCO theme for the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference is “Shaping a Future of Peace.”
They said this underscores the importance of a free, independent, and viable media ecosystem to peace, security, and sustainable development.
Rising Human Rights Concerns
“We are seriously concerned about the scale and persistence of killings, abductions, sexual violence, forced displacement, destruction of property, and the deepening governance and accountability crisis.
“Thousands have been unlawfully killed and millions displaced in several parts of northern Nigeria, alongside ongoing attacks on rural communities, abductions, and grave abuses against women and children.
“These trends reflect systemic failures to prevent harm, protect communities, prosecute perpetrators and their sponsors, and ensure justice for victims,” they said.
They added that these violations breach Nigeria’s obligations under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Humanitarian Impact
The groups said the humanitarian consequences remain severe, with communities destroyed, livelihoods lost, and victims left without effective remedies.
“The persistence of impunity continues to erode public trust and weaken democratic governance,” they said.
