Nigeria’s media has a vast amount of media outlets that have no problem criticizing unpopular government decisions and any issue that is seen unfair or unjust however, journalist find themselves unable to effectively make change and go after highly notable political issue. This is due financial malpractice from the powerful or even terrorism. Nigeria’s media influence is vast and their media scene is one of the liveliest in Africa all 36 states run at least one radio network and TV station. Radio is the key source of information while both radio and TV are operated at a federal and regional level. Rebroadcast of foreign radios are banned however international broadcasters including BBC are very popular.
President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015 and promised to have an open media which led to minor improvements. Nevertheless, assaults, self-censorship due to intimidation and impunity for crimes against journalist persist. Many journalists have been charged with criminal defamation in recent years, though in most cases the charges were eventually withdrawn .According to the CPJ Global Impunity Index which assesses countries based on the number of unsolved journalist murders per capital over the preceding decade, Nigeria was ranked 13 in 2015. “Journalists are regularly threatened, abused or prevented from accessing information by local authorities, the police and sometimes by the people themselves. The regional governors, omnipotent, are often the most determined against them and act with impunity…” says a report from RSF.
One serious case involved Nigerian newspaper Leadership editor Tony Amokeodo and a political correspondent Chibuzor Ukuibe, who were charged in 2013 over the publication of a memo written by previous president Goodluck Jonathan on plans to increase fuel prices and disrupt the merger of opposition political parties. According to Freedom House even though the charges were dropped the two journalist faced with forgery, conspiracy to commit a felony, incitement of public disaffection against the president and 8 other charges.
According to the study done by Freedom house in 2017 Nigeria with a population of 186,500,000 is still only partly free. Which mean the assaults, censorship and intimidation still existed and needs to be addressed for a free media.