World Press Freedom Day: X-Raying Press  Position In Nigeria

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, has been celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

While it is undeniable that the press is critical to safeguarding democracies and holding governments accountable, such a reality is veering towards impossible in Nigeria. Just recently, Nigeria was ranked 129 out of 180 countries in the 2022

World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a decline from 120 and 115 in 2021 and 2020 respectively. RSF also named Nigeria one of ‘West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult’ countries for journalists to work in.

Though the Nigerian government, however, has publicly criticized the listing, claiming that Nigeria’s press is both empowered and free, especially under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the claim that many journalists in Nigeria have disputed, pointing to several recent examples of the government attempting to clamp down on the media and press.

Following the Twitter ban that lasted for more than six months in 2021, the National Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria, (NBC) directed all social media platforms and online broadcasting service providers operating in Nigeria to apply for a broadcast license.

 This was followed by a controversial amendment to the NBC Act which sought to stifle media organizations.

The expectation of Nigerians is that the incoming administration would learn from the activities of the outgoing Buhari  led government and amends certain policies that tend to  inhibit press freedom in the country.

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