ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) , a humanitarian non-governmental organization working to promote human rights, combat poverty and all forms of injustice in Nigeria, has called on the Nigerian government to uphold its commitment to creating a safe and favourable environment for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society.
The call was made in Abuja on Monday, May 3 by its Country Director, Ene Obi, who stated that “The freedom of the press is one of the essential cornerstones of a democratic society.”
The organisation noted that while freedom of the press is one of the essential cornerstones of a democratic society, in Nigeria, there has been a consistent and dangerous attempt by both state and non-state actors to breach not only local and international statutes guaranteeing the essential freedom of expression but to expurgate and censure the media and journalists while doing their legitimate duties.
It cited a report released by Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), November 13, 2020, that found that a total of 160 journalists were attacked in Nigeria, between 2018 and 2020.
The PTCIJ’s report indicated that the repression of the media and journalists in Nigeria ranges from physical attacks, arrests and detentions, unconstitutional legal proceedings, repressive laws, and cyber-attacks amongst others.
In a similar report, on Nigeria titled, “Climate of Violence,” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked the country at 120th position in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index and stated that “Nigeria is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested or even killed.”
ActionAid Nigeria, therefore, called on the government and other stakeholders to use the opportunity of the World Press Freedom Day to improve on the country’s “appalling record of repression of the media and journalists.”
Specifically, it called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to review some of the stringent terms and conditions gagging or threatening press freedom and the rights to freedom of expression by citizens.
In line with this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme: “Information as a Public Good,” ActionAid Nigeria said NBC should liberalise media social actions because “we also affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good. It is vital to have access to reliable information – especially in an era of misinformation.”
Additionally, ActionAid urged the Federal Government of Nigeria and the governors to make strong commitments to end attacks on the media and journalists while increasingly expanding the space for free speech and respect for the rule of law.
More importantly, media proprietors must also ensure improved welfare package for journalists in Nigeria
ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), is a national non-governmental, non-partisan, non-religious, civil society organization, and an affiliate member of the ActionAid International Federation with a presence in 45 countries.
AAN works in solidarity with people living in poverty and exclusion to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication towards achieving a just, equitable and sustainable world in which every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom from poverty and all forms of oppression
