Nigeria Political Orientation
Government
Government Type: Federal Presidential Republic
Leader: President Bola Tinubu
Political Party: All Progressives Congress (APC)
Political Position: Center-Right
Press Freedom
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: 54.92 – Moderate Freedom
World Press Freedom Rank: Nigeria 123/180
In 2023 Reporters Without Borders ranked Nigeria 123/180 in their Press Freedom Index, where they state, “Nigeria is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.”
Media Ownership and Government Analysis
Nigeria is a federal republic composed of 36 states. Until the nineties, The Media of Nigeria was directly controlled by the government as the government held the majority ownership. Most of the press and the broadcasting sector are either directly state-owned, particularly Broadcast media such as The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Ogun State Television OGTV, which the Ogun State Government owns. However, media is also owned by prominent families and businesses, such as Nduka Obaigbena, publisher and owner of ThisDay Newspaper, and the Aboderin Family, owner of The Punch Newspaper, which is the most circulated in the country.
The National Broadcasting Commission is the broadcast regulator of Nigeria and has control over the licensing of Broadcasting media. According to the U.S State Department, the Nigerian government uses regulatory oversight to “restrict press freedom, notably clamping down on television and radio stations.” For example, according to a Guardian Nigeria article dated 2020, The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fined Nigeria Info 99.3 FM (local radio station) “N5 million over a comment made by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailaifa on one of its program.”
Both civil and criminal law regulate Libel Laws in Nigeria, and it is criminalized under the Criminal Code and the Criminal Defamation Act. Furthermore, corruption is the prominent challenge Media faces in Nigeria as the government in Nigeria often rounds up journalists for exposing corruption. In 2018, the MacArthur Foundation gave $6.3 million in grants “to Advance Accountability and Transparency and Reduce Corruption in Nigeria, through support for independent media, journalism.” For example, Sahara Reporters based in New York is one of the Grant recipients, and another one is OYA Media.
In summary, Nigerian media ownership is composed of state and privately-owned news sources. However, in the broadcast sector, the federal government has significant control since it owns and regulates most radio and TV stations. Therefore, the media of Nigeria faces a lack of press freedom and censorship at the hands of the government.
Last Updated on November 8, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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