SECTOR 1

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator.

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:

1.2 (2008 = n/a)

1.5
Print publications are not required to obtain
permission to publish from state authorities.
“...the board
has been set
up mainly to
ensure full
control over
the content of
publications.”

Authorisation is required for print publications to be considered
legal in Nigeria. Newspapers generally obtain licences from either
the Federal or State governments, while publishers of books are
required to obtain an ISBN number from the National and State
libraries. Some states insist on receiving a draft of the publication
before issuing an ISBN number. In the state of Kano, a board has
been set up to look through print material before it is published.
According to one panellist, “the board has been set up mainly to
ensure full control over the content of publications.” In Lagos State,
authorities require new publishers to submit a dummy copy of their
newspaper or magazine before the publication is launched.

But panellists said many publishers generally ignore the licence
requirements and go ahead to publish. They carry on unperturbed with their
business until they commit an “offence”, and the noncompliance is then used
against them.

12

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2011

Select target paragraph3