ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Nigerian Government to promote freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and create a favourable environment for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society.
In a statement on Monday, the non-governmental organisation said the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day presents the government and other stakeholders in Nigeria the opportunity to take action to improve on the country’s appalling record of repression of the media and journalists.
According to the statement, speaking in Abuja, the Country Director, Ene Obi, said: “The freedom of the press is one of the essential cornerstones of a democratic society.
“But 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 noted that in a recent report on Nigeria, entitled: “Climate of Violence,” Reporters Without Borders ranked the country at the 120th position in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, and stated that Nigeria is one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.
It also cited a report by Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism on November 13, 2020, which found that a total of 160 journalists were attacked in Nigeria between 2018 and 2020.
The organisation recalled that at its last Universal Periodic Review in 2018, the Nigerian government made a commitment to protect and promote freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, and to create a safe and favourable environment for human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society.
It, however, regretted that the commitment has not translated to action “as many cases of impunity against the media and journalists have led to the poor rating the country has received.”
It said: “ActionAid Nigeria, therefore, calls on the government and other stakeholders in Nigeria to use the opportunity of the World Press Freedom Day to take action to improve on the country’s appalling record of repression of the media and journalists.
“Specifically, we also call 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’, 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.”
It also called on media proprietors to ensure improved welfare package for journalists in Nigeria.
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