Panellists at the Journalism & Society Conversation organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) on Tuesday 10 June 2025, in commemoration of June 12 Democracy Day, themed ‘Can Nigeria deliver on its promise of a free press?’, highlighted the necessity for media organisations to develop innovative strategies to safeguard the rights of journalist, increase funding within the media ecosystem and ensure sustained advocacy and public sensitisation of this repressive laws.
In her opening remarks, Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, questioned if the country’s democracy is genuinely delivering on its promise of a free press. Reflecting on insights from a recent study tour with Soyinka Laureates to the Netherlands, Alaka said “we learnt that the Dutch government invests about €15 million annually in journalism”. She reiterated the centre’s mission to promoting a just society through investigative journalism and urged collective action towards improving accountability and governance.
Bukky Shonibare, Executive Director, Invictus Africa, highlighted the legal landscape surrounding press freedom in Nigeria. Referring to the 2025 Reporters Without Borders ranking, she pointed out that Nigeria has fallen ten places to 122nd on the World Press Freedom Index. She emphasised the vital role of civil society organisations in remaining alert and acting as watchdogs against repressive laws. She stressed that media organisations must be better prepared. “It is important for newsrooms to have legal support, emergency response plans, independent funding, mental health care, and proper security measure”, she said.
On her part, Lami Sadiq, former Group Investigation Editor at Media Trust Group, stressed on the arbitrary arrests, detentions, reprisal and politically motivated attacks on journalists that have marked Nigeria’s 26 years of democracy. She called on media organisations to adopt innovative strategies to safeguard the rights of journalists. Sadiq also stressed the importance of solidarity within the profession, urging stronger collaboration among bodies such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) during difficult situations.
Olaoluwa Adeleye, Programme Officer, WSCIJ, shared the WSCIJ’s continued efforts to safeguard the civic space and uphold press freedom including an ongoing free psycho-social support for journalists, stakeholders’ engagement with heads of security agencies, editors, journalists, legal experts among others to discuss findings from the 2023 Journalism and Civic Space Status Report and ways to improve the safety of journalists.
Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Director, Media Career Network, raised concern over the growing influence of corporate organisations on the media. He urged emerging media outlets to come together, form associations, and adopt collaborative approaches to address these challenges.
Also contributing, Umaru Kirawa, Northeast Correspondent for News Central TV, highlighted systemic issues within the media space and the growing presence of untrained journalists as threats to press freedom. He suggested that the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) develop a unified digital database of accredited journalists to promote standardisation and help distinguish professionals from impostors.
On his part, Biodun Oluwaseunfunmi from Nigeria Education News, pointed to the growing trend of media ownership by politicians as a troubling development, describing it as a major threat to press freedom and a driver of misinformation.
The Journalism & Society Conversations by the WSCIJ brings together stakeholders to discuss pressing issues that affect the media and the society as well as the vital role of investigative journalism in holding the government accountable and contributing to nation-building
Click to here listen to the conversation.
Signed
WSCIJ Team
