SECTOR 1 1.7 Confidential sources of information protected by law and/or the courts. are Nothing in Nigeria’s media laws gives journalists the right or privilege to conceal their sources. Nonetheless, two Appeal Court rulings in favour of the protection of journalists’ sources have given legal backing to the protection of sources. One panellist cited the example of the the Senate vs. Tony Momoh case, in which the Appeal court said the fundamental right of the journalist must be upheld. Other panellists believe that the passing of the Freedom to Information Act (FIA) in 2011 would ease the protection of sources by journalists. The FIA promises to protect public officials from the adverse consequences of releasing certain categories of information. 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: 1.9 (2008 = 1.1) 1.8 Public information is easily guaranteed by law, to all citizens. accessible, Nigeria passed its first Freedom of Information Act in May 2011, in what is considered within media circles across the continent as a groundbreaking move. The Act came as a result of many years of advocacy by civil society groups and media-based associations such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors. The introductory note of the Bill tabled before parliament states that the purpose of the act is to make “public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from 14 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2011