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: Score of previous years: ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ 4.4 2008: 4.4; 2011: 4.7; 2015: 4.6 1.11 Media legislation evolves from meaningful consultations among state institutions, citizens and interest groups Nigerian parliamentary procedures allow citizens to directly initiate new laws by sponsoring a public bill. Additionally, through advocacy and lobbying, citizens can indirectly participate in law-making by influencing the private members’ bills of elected lawmakers or the public bills tabled in parliament by the executive branch of government. The law-making process further provides an opportunity for public debate (public hearing), allowing all interested parties to have their say on bills before they are voted by parliament. These safeguards do not, however, guarantee broad participation in lawmaking processes. Panellists said both the legislative and executive branches of government have devised ways of minimising citizen inputs. For example, the public hardly heard about a recent bill to revise the NBC Act – not even NBC staff – until it was on its way to the presidency for signature, said one panellist. Another bill revising the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Act to allow the NTA to expand its revenue sources went through parliament without any public consultation or hearing. One panellist said: Even if the public is consulted or a public hearing is held, the authorities already have their minds made up in advance to push a specific agenda. Consequently, the views of the public are hardly reflected in the final law. The state frequently appropriates the voice of the people with the creation of GONGOS or Government NGOs (a reference to governmentsponsored NGOs created with the sole purpose of counteracting independent NGOs). Another panellist added: Usually, the authorities only invite people who are likely to support the proposal of the executive to consultations, or they invite their supporters to attend public hearings and defend the interest of the executive. 20 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2019