Stakeholders have called for an independent review of Nigeria’s media laws and regulations to align them with international standards on media freedom and freedom of expression.
This recommendation was included in a communiqué issued after a two-day workshop on “Laws Affecting the Media and the Safety of Journalists in Nigeria,” which took place from October 9-10, 2024.
The workshop was organized by Media Rights Agenda, with financial support from the MacArthur Foundation and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
The event brought together media professionals from broadcast, print, and online platforms across the North East, North Central, and North West regions of Nigeria.
Participants emphasized that media freedom is a cornerstone of democratic governance, urging the protection of journalists from intimidation, harassment, or undue interference by the government or influential figures.
The communiqué highlighted that the media serves a critical role in promoting accountability and transparency in governance.
Stakeholders called on the government, judiciary, civil society, and media organizations to collaborate on creating a legal environment that fosters a free, independent, and professional media sector.
While Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, stakeholders stressed the need for more robust legal frameworks that specifically protect media professionals from threats like arbitrary arrests, physical violence, and criminal prosecution.
Concerns were also raised over the misuse of laws such as the Cybercrimes Act, Criminal Defamation Laws, and the Terrorism (Prevention) Act to silence journalists covering sensitive issues like corruption, human rights abuses, and governance failures.
Participants voiced alarm over government efforts to regulate social media, describing them as threats to freedom of expression.
The communiqué also lauded the media industry’s co-regulatory efforts to address ethical breaches and improve journalism standards, while advocating for further steps to eliminate punitive state regulation.
Stakeholders urged the Federal Government to ensure greater compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and called for action to stop the harassment and physical attacks on journalists, particularly by state actors.
They recommended establishing mechanisms to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for attacks on media workers.
Furthermore, participants stressed the need for judicial independence to prevent politically motivated prosecutions of journalists and called for media law training programs for judges and prosecutors.
