Ahead of the off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as the next general election, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme II convened stakeholders in Abuja on Wednesday to deliberate on media protection and the safety of journalists in Nigeria.
The forum, titled Stakeholders’ Engagement on Media Protection & Journalist Safety, formed part of ongoing efforts under the EU-SDGN Programme II to strengthen democratic accountability, civic participation and freedom of expression.
The engagement brought together media professionals, civil society actors, policy advocates and institutional stakeholders to examine documented cases of attacks against journalists and discuss practical strategies for improving protection mechanisms in the country’s evolving political and digital environment.
Participants at the meeting reviewed findings from the monitoring and documentation of attacks against media professionals, with discussions centring on accountability, protection of civic space and institutional responses to threats against press freedom during elections.
Stakeholders noted that journalists in Nigeria continue to face intimidation, harassment and physical attacks, particularly while covering elections and politically sensitive events. During the 2023 general election, several media organisations and press freedom groups reported incidents involving assaults on journalists, seizure of equipment and obstruction of election coverage in different parts of the country. Similar concerns also emerged during recent off-cycle governorship elections, where some reporters covering polling units and collation centres reportedly faced threats from political supporters and security operatives.
Speakers at the Abuja engagement stressed that attacks on journalists not only endanger media professionals but also weaken public confidence in democratic processes by limiting citizens’ access to credible information.
The engagement was designed to deepen stakeholder collaboration around policy dialogue, digital rights and regulatory frameworks affecting media practice and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
The consensus among stakeholders was the need for coordinated advocacy and balanced, rights-based governance processes that support safer professional environments for journalists and other media actors.
Participants also called for sustained cooperation among government institutions, the media and civil society organisations to strengthen transparency, improve accountability for attacks against journalists and safeguard press freedom ahead of future elections in the country.
