The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has expressed deep concern over the worsening state of press freedom and civic rights in Nigeria, naming Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Kano as the top locations where journalists and civic actors suffered the most violations in 2024.
This was revealed in the “Shrinking Freedoms: 2024 Journalism and Civic Space Status Report” unveiled on Tuesday in Lagos.
SolaceBase reports that the report offers a data-driven assessment of infringements on civil liberties, media rights, and freedom of expression across the country.
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According to WSCIJ, although the number of recorded violations declined slightly from 134 in 2023 to 103 in 2024, “the environment for press freedom and civic engagement remains fragile and increasingly hostile.”
The centre noted that journalists were the most targeted group, accounting for more than half of all victims and survivors of the recorded incidents.
“The findings show that Lagos, the FCT, and Kano remain flashpoints for media repression and civic rights violations.
“These locations, which serve as major hubs of media and political activity, have also become centres of intimidation, harassment, and unlawful detention of journalists.”
The Nigerian Police were fingered in over 65 percent of all reported incidents, a pattern WSCIJ described as evidence of “persistent institutional weaknesses and a culture of impunity that undermines democratic governance.”
While violations were almost evenly divided between violent and non-violent acts, the report lamented that media coverage of such incidents remained “largely superficial,” limiting public awareness and accountability.
It also revealed that in 59 percent of the cases, data on the gender of perpetrators or victims were missing, exposing documentation gaps that obscure the full scale of the problem.
The 2024 assessment covered incidents between January and December, tracking infringements against journalists, activists, and human rights defenders nationwide.
Using Content Analysis (CA), Critical Incident Analysis (CIA), and case study interviews, WSCIJ reviewed 103 incidents reported 342 times across 102 news stories and one feature published or aired by 28 media organisations.
The report also drew attention to the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, which it described as “a defining moment in Nigeria’s civic resistance.”
According to testimonies gathered, several journalists and activists were harassed or detained for participating in or reporting the demonstrations.
Ultimately, the WSCIJ concluded that Nigeria’s civic space remains “deliberately constrained by coordinated actions of both state and non-state actors.”
It warned that unless urgent steps are taken, “the fundamental rights to report, protest, and participate in civic life will remain at serious risk.”
The “Shrinking Freedoms” report builds on WSCIJ’s previous publications — including the 2022 edition, “Hushed Voices and the Media’s Defence of the Civic Space (2012–2022),” and the 2023 version, “Hushed Voices in an Election Year” — to provide a continuing analysis of Nigeria’s evolving civic and media landscape.
The event was attended by media professionals, Civil Society Organisations, Police, students and several others.