WSCIJ Urges Joint Effort to Safeguard Nigeria’s Democratic Space
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has urged stronger collaboration among stakeholders to defend Nigeria’s democratic space and protect those who speak truth to power.
This was discussed at the public presentation of its 2024 Journalism and Civic Status Report titled “Shrinking Freedoms” held in Lagos on Tuesday.
In her address, the Executive Director and CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, warned that Nigeria’s civic space is being quietly eroded by acts of censorship, intimidation, and muted dissent.
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“These threats are not always loud, but they are deliberate — a story quietly dropped, a headline softened, or a voice muted before it reaches the public,” she said.
Alaka explained that the new report exposes the increasing difficulty of holding people in power to account while reaffirming WSCIJ’s commitment to supporting journalists at risk and defending media freedom. She also appreciated the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) for their partnership and support.
Delivering a goodwill message, Peter Keulers, Deputy Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, commended Nigerian journalists and civic actors for their resilience and pledged his country’s continued support for press freedom and human rights initiatives.
