In 52 years of post-independence Nigeria, the military establishment has ruled for 29 years while civilians have ruled for 23 years out of which only last 13 years were uninterrupted by military coup detat. The long rule of the military has affected the psyche of Nigerian rulers, even the civilians, who see closure of media houses, threat of withdrawal of broadcast licences, arrest of journalists and general impunity against the press as instrument of governance.

The above chronicle of events gives credence to the fact that the safety of journalists in Nigeria is not safeguarded by the authority and its law enforcement agencies. It also shows that most of the impunity against the press is carried out by agents of the State.

This proposal seeks support for the conduct of a national seminar to foster the safety of journalists and build a monitoring network for that purpose. This will help to raise awareness amongst stakeholders, support the establishment of a national monitoring network and reinforce the consciousness of journalists to ‘safety in the line of duty’.