SECTOR 1 African Media Barometer Nigeria 2019 Summary Under the constitution, Nigerian citizens have a right to free expression and free media – along with several other fundamental rights. In principle, no other laws should take away these rights, since the constitution serves as supreme law. However, there are several pieces of legislation, including clauses contained within the constitution, that restricted the full enjoyment of these rights. Beyond legal limitations, citizens and journalists are by and large unable to exercise freedom of expression without fear, due to a culture of intimidation and harassment perpetrated by public authorities and private citizens alike. Additionally, criminal libel and other similar laws that infringe on the freedom of the media have remained in force despite progress in other areas; such as the passing of a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in 2011. It is possible that the climate has remained relatively hostile because of the government’s reluctance to honour regional and international instruments that guarantee these rights. While Nigeria has signed most international conventions on human rights and subscribes to the ideals contained in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa, panellists said the authorities’ commitment to these instruments is not apparent in practise. There are, however, positive factors. For instance, Nigeria places no legal restrictions on the opening and running of newspapers and websites and there seem to be no attempts to restrict access to these news sources – either through the law or the use of technological tools. The enactment of the FOI Act was pivotal to the evolution of the Nigerian media landscape, even though its implementation faces resistance from some authorities, especially those in the defence forces. While journalists still come under pressure to give up their sources, the protection of journalistic sources is increasingly recognised as a fundamental principle in a democratic society. The landscape has been shaped by a vibrant civic space, marked with collective and individual actions to foster an independent media. However, most media legislation does not evolve from meaningful consultation among state institutions, citizens and interest groups. Nigeria is awash with news sources, from a vibrant but struggling newspaper industry to expanding online news and information services. Radio is huge in the country, particularly in the north. The collection of news sources largely includes politically biased newspapers owned and run by state governments. In the private sector, media ownership is largely opaque, making it hard to tell who controls media narratives. 5 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2019