IPC expands freedom fight with NJIRI

L-R: Obe, Shokunbi, Akinreti and Akanni during the launch

One of the most vibrant organizations at the forefront of ensuring Nigeria’s democracy becomes enduring is the International Press Centre (IPC).

Through the Strengthening Citizens Engagement in Electoral Process (SCEEP) which has been on for quite a long time now, it has actively sensitized Nigerians on how and why they should participate in governance so that democracy can become better for it.

And now it has further expanded its fight for an enduring democracy by launching the Nigerian Journalist Internet Rights Initiative (NJIRI) which is all about protecting the right to freedom of the online media.

According to Sanmi Falobi of IPC, NJIRI, which is implemented with the support of IFEX, aims to advance the right to freedom of expression for online journalists in Nigeria and ensuring online platforms are safe and free of institutional limitations for journalists and other media practitioners to use as mediums of information and engagement.

The launch, which was also a tweet conference, held on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at IPC, Ogba, Lagos and was moderated by Dr Qasim Akinreti, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Lagos chapter.

Dr Tunde Akanni, of the Lagos State University, presented a synopsis on Issues in Frameworks, Freedom of Expression and Internet Rights in Nigeria: A Baseline Research by the Nigerian Journalist Internet Rights Initiative.

He quoted a lot of treaties and charters that are about the freedom of the media, like the African Charter Of Human And Peoples’ Rights, saying, “Article 9 of this continental instrument states that ‘every individual shall have the right to receive information’ as well as the right to ‘express and disseminate his opinions within the law.’”

Speaking about the legal aspects of media dissemination, he disclosed that the “1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, as well as the Freedom of Information Act of 2011 are the relevant instruments in this regard.

“Section 22, Chapter 2 of the Constitution clearly states that the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall be free to hold the Government accountable to the people.”

Then Taiwo Obe, founder, Journalism Clinic, spoke on The Power of the Media in the Internet Age, saying, “When one-time Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar joined Twitter, he noted that ‘social media is where young people, the bulk of Nigeria’s population, gather to share their thoughts, often venting their frustrations with the inefficiencies of the country.’”

Also speaking, the representative of Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, spoke on Internet Rights and the Imperative of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, and the guest contributors, Lekan Otufodunrin Managing Editor, Online, The Nation, and Yinka Shokunbi, Managing Editor, HealthStylePlus Online, spoke respectively on Protecting the Internet Rights of Journalists and Bloggers and The Challenges of Ensuring the Safety of Journalists and Bloggers Online.

According to Shokunbi, “The level of threats against journalists have no doubts widened with checks and balances which are meant to prohibit, prevent, regulate, protect and even punish as well as curtail online practices.