The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) convened key stakeholders on Thursday, 14 August 2025, for the virtual validation meeting of the 2024 Journalism and Civic Space Status Report. The session convened media professionals, editors, civil society actors, and experts to critically review the report’s content, to ensure that it is robust, relevant, evidence-based, and reflective of the realities on the ground.
During the session, the WSCIJ team shared highlights from the report, including emerging trends in press freedom, digital engagement, and regulatory challenges affecting media operations. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the state of journalism and civic space in Nigeria, assessing the report’s findings and data accuracy. They provided feedback on the report’s methodology, content, and proposed recommendations, emphasising the need for actionable insights to strengthen accountability, transparency, and civic engagement. The meeting underscored the importance of collaborative validation in ensuring that the report reflects ground realities and is a credible tool for advocacy and policy engagement.
The WSCIJ team thanked participants for their contributions, noting that their input will help refine the report for publication. The Centre reaffirmed its commitment to supporting evidence-based reporting and promoting a more enabling environment for journalists and civil society actors across Nigeria.
Launched in 2021, the Civic Space Guard project is part of the activities under the Leveraging the Power of the Media to Fortify the Civic Space and Tackle Malinformation programme, implemented by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), with support from the Netherlands Embassy.
