Evidently, the quest for free press in the nigeria society as reflected in the doggedness and dauntlessness of the press in the performance of their noble role in the face of constant and continued repressive and murderous measures across regimes has not been a forlorn struggle. Nigeria is now one of west africas most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often spied on, attacked, arbitrarily arrested or even killed. The existing legislations in nigeria that regulate press freedom for the reasons spelt out in section 45 of the constitution are the criminal code and the cybercrimes act. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press in nigeria. However, this did not guarantee the freedom of speech since the majority of newspaper proprietors were actively involved in politics.
Press freedom has become one of the major challenges facing journalism practice in the world. I fear for press freedom in nigeria, as the buhari administration may get emboldened. It should be obvious now that this paper is not concerned with analyzing specific laws inhibiting press freedom in nigeria. The board of wanifra reminds nigeria of its obligations as a signatory to international conventions regarding freedom of expression, and it unequivocally calls on nigeria s international partners to do more to pressure president buharis government into guaranteeing an environment that better protects media freedom and the independence of. Many of the major figures in this struggle are herbert macaulay, nnamdi azikiwe, ernest ikoli, obafemi awolowo, anthony enahoro, dutse mohammed ali.
Pdf press freedom has become one of the major challenges facing journalism practice in the world. Contempt of court, invasion of privacy, press freedom, democracy, nigeria. Malgwi2, bulama kagu3 and ibrahim danjuma4 1 department of business management, university of maiduguri nigeria 2 bursary department, university of maiduguri, 3department of education, university of maiduguri, 4faculty of management and human resource. Download the nigerian press under the military or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. Click download or read online button to get the nigerian press under the military book now. This paper explores the factors hindering press freedom in nigeria using some relevant examples. Reporters without borders rsf presents the 2019 world press freedom index. Nigeria 2 international religious freedom report for 2018 united states department of state bureau of democracy, human rights, and labor wa also attacked targets in yobe. Press freedom in africa 2010 1 by publishing, for the first time in 2009, a report on the state of press freedom in africa, the africa office of the international federation of journalists ifj and the federation of african journalists faj set themselves a twofold challenge. In order to attain a measure of conceptual clarity. Right to freedom of expression and the law of defamation in nigeria imo j. The rate of decline also accelerated drastically, with the global average score suffering its largest oneyear drop in. The name is derived from cash inducements hidden in brown envelopes and given to journalists during press briefings.
Although government intervention reduced the amount of territory these groups controlled, the two insurgencies maintained the. Press freedom in africa international federation of. The importance of freedom of expression chapt er 2 the importance of freedom. It was sir tom stoppard, the british playwright and screenwriter that succinctly opined that i still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate shortterm weapon. During this period, a total of five military regimes were in charge namely. In most of the new democracies, as this paper attempts to show, new parliamentary bills that are hostile to the media, are. Despite global changes in human rights issues and efforts by other countries in the world to entrench every aspect of human rights into their nations constitution, nigeria shows no tangible commitment towards freedom of expression as a pivotal aspect of our fundamental human rights. Current status, challenges and implications for news media. Exploring the factors affecting press freedom in nigeria. This paper focuses on the importance of press freedom, as a fundamental. Nigeria freedom of information act 2011 and its implication for records and office security management ayuba a. Anything that does not favor the government, or the government doesnt like, they may descend on. Nigeria also amended its terrorism prevention act in 20 to criminalize actions that would be legitimate newsgathering activities for journalists covering the activities of boko haram, such as attending a meeting of the group or receiving information from the group.
The press and government in nigeria are like two strange bed fellows. The restriction of press freedom on these grounds is applicable to print, electronic, and online media. This constitution guarantees freedom of expression and of the press and speech, but nigeria s vibrant and flowing media region continues to face many attempts by state and nonstate enforcements to suppress political criticism and constrain journalists into silence. Freedom of the press 2015, the latest edition of an annual report published by freedom house since 1980, found that global press freedom declined in 2014 to its lowest point in more than 10 years. Findings also reveal that nigerian press freedom is a paradox and only exist on paper i. Similarly, the nigerian national assembly should, as well, repeal the official secret act of 1976. This much was demonstrated at the screening of the avalon dailys documentary paying the price press freedom in nigeria, held at freedom park, lagos. Apart from two brief interregnum 196066 and 19791983, the military ruled effectively between 19661998. Constitutional limitation result in a situation whereby the press is declared free yet everywhere it is in chains.
The nigerian constituent assembly has concluded that the press in. Udofa department of public law, faculty of law university of uyo, uyo, akwa ibom state, nigeria abstract section 391 of the 1999 constitution of nigeria guarantees freedom of expression as a fundamental right. Nigeria free speech and free press around the world. This is where the problem occurs in the country of nigeria. Arbitrariness and extralegal measures in the application of these laws are problem to the nigerian press. The researcher used the qualitative method of research. There is urgent need for rule of law in the country. But after opposition from the nigerian press and other nigerians, a vague amendment to the draft constitution was made to protect the freedom of the press during the civilian regime west africa, 1977. The country consists of 36 states and its federal capital, abuja. May i with all humility, therefore, take the liberty to speak on the topic freedom of expression in nigeria. Law of contempt, law of defamation, law ofpublication, national broadcasting commission act, and so on.
Pdf press freedom and nigerias cybercrime act of 2015. At a public hearing on nigeria s social media bill held in abuja last month, the voice of chris isiguzo, president of the nigerian union of journalists nuj, rang clearly across the room. Freedom of the press is a yearly report by usbased nonprofit organization freedom house. Some media laws in nigeria institute for media and society.
The press freedom dimension challenges and opportunities of new media for press freedom to explore the emerging and rapidly evolving environment of press freedom created by the new electronic media. This billseeks to pigeonhole nigerians from freely expressing themselves. Punch editorial board exhibiting increasing intolerance for the freedom of the press, the countrys security agencies have lately been attacking the media. This decree established a council most of which members are appointed by the government with a mandate to supervise the conduct, work, administration, registration and deregistration of journalists. The press under military rule in nigeria 1966 1993. There are a lot of factors in nigeria that have militated against press freedom. Constitutional rights project v nigeria communication nos 14094, 14194 and 14595 1999. Guest speaker, edem andah right, speaking during a lecture on the importance of freedom of information bill visavis press freedom for the development of democracy in nigeria to mark world press freedom day at the american corner, ibadan, recently. To worst the situation, nigeria government were still allowing some laws that constitute threat to freedom of press among others to be in existence and as a matter of fact some of them are not directly aimed at the media, but which because of their sweeping nature, posed a threat to media practice and efforts calling for media law reforms that. Nigeria dos not have press freedom because of too many laws constraining media practice. Impact of contempt of court and invasion of privacy laws. My fear is that this administration in the next four years may not condone some publications. From 1859 to 1960, the nigerian press was privately owned.
Nigeria foi was enacted in 2011, foi is an act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from adverse consequences of disclosing certain kinds of official. Republic of nigeria, report of the political bureau. Department of state has never designated nigeria as. The study found that in actual practice, there is no rule of law in the country. Department of mass communication delta state university, abraka, nigeria abstract this paper takes another look at the state of press freedom in nigeria, given fifteen years of uninterrupted democracy in the country. Press freedom and communication in africa eribo, festus, jongebot, william on. This paper takes another look at the state of press freedom in nigeria, given fifteen years of uninterrupted democracy in the country. Brown envelope journalism in nigeria is a practice whereby monetary inducement is given to journalists to make them write a positive story or kill a negative story. Navigating a meeting point between the old and the new media i shall now turn attention to the paper. Others, it can be said, have only paid lips service to the call for press freedom to ensure for accountability and responsible government while some especially in the arab. The struggle for a free press in africa al jazeera america. The nigerian press under the military download ebook pdf. Press freedom must be distinguished from freedom of speech. Freedom of speech in nigeria has been talked about for many.
Pdf exploring the factors affecting press freedom in nigeria. Making press freedom, freedom of expression, and access to information for citizens, shared values, and respected principles in africa, is essential for the long term survival of the independent media and its stakeholders. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Two journalists have been shot dead while covering islamic movement in nigeria protests one in july 2019 and the other in january 2020 without any proper investigation with the aim of identifying those responsible. The press and freedom of information in nigeria and the united. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. Kukah 1999 4 stated that journalism was the major vehicle through which the anticolonial struggle in nigeria was carried out. Nevertheless, there are constitutional justifications for press freedom in nigeria. Different laws regulating themass media in nigeria include law of sedition. Therefore, these newspapers typically acted as advocates of their owners political interest. Nigeria is located in west africa and borders cameroon, niger, chad, and republic of benin.
Analysis of impediments to nigerian press freedom babcock. I have observed that there is increasing frustration or at least a shift in focus internationally from the adoption campaigns of the last two decades or so in favour of exploring the challenge of ensuring more effective. Nigeria requires no greater guarantees of frecdom of expression than those. Nigerian viewpoints on the draft constitution, 197677, daily times, lagos, 1977, pp. Levels of freedom are scored on a scale from 1 most free to 100 least free. It is a common practice in nigeria and many journalists do know that it is unethical. Evaluative study of the freedom of information act on journalism practice in nigeria oberiri destiny apuke department of mass communication, taraba state university, p. Other existing legal constraints to press freedom can be found in the nigeria press council act cap n128 lfn, 2004. This study assesses the cybercrime act 2015 and its implications for online press freedom in the liberal authoritarian state of nigeria.
Evaluative study of the freedom of information act on. Press freedom suffered its greatest setback during the long years of military rule in nigeria. Further weakening of press freedom in the united states would be a setback for democracy everywhere. Reporters without borders rsf presents the 2019 press freedom barometer. The twoday national conference on the theme freedom of information act 2011 and the fight against corruption and corporate fraud in governance, organized at abuja, was the institutes way of lending its voice to the federal governments fight against corruption and corporate fraud using the foi act as a point of reference. Specifically, the study examines how the character of. These laws therefore serve as theroadblock to freedom of the press in nigeria. It is known to subjectively measure the level of freedom and editorial independence that is enjoyed by the press in every nation and significant disputed territories around the world.