SECTOR 1 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: Score of previous years: ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ 2.7 2008: 2.4; 2011: 2.3; 2015: 3.4 1.3 There are NO legal restrictions to freedom of expression or laws that interfere with the functioning of the media. (e.g. official secret, libel acts and legal requirements) Even though the constitution recognises and grants freedom of expression as a fundamental right, a range of laws and pieces of legislation restrict the full enjoyment of that right. These restrictions may be laws that directly affect the practice of journalism, such as criminal libel. Others are loopholes in the country’s collection of laws and regulations that can be abusively evoked to infringe on freedom of expression, such as the cybercrimes, anti-terrorism and official secrets acts. Still, others are archaic laws that are often dug up and used to charge journalists and other outspoken citizens (such as the law on sedition, which was declared inapplicable by an appeal court judgement, but has not been formally repealed). Panellists also viewed The Nigerian Press Council Act, which has been in place since the 1970s, as a perpetual restriction of freedom of the media. A legal battle to have it repealed is now at the supreme court. Taking advantage of public hearings in senate, journalists successfully shut down an attempt to reform the law before a definite court ruling. 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: Score of previous years: 11 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2019 ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2.3 2008: n/a; 2011: n/a; 2015: 2.8 ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓