Assessment of the safety of journalists in Nigeria based on the UNESCO Safety of Journalists Indicators
Evidence increasingly points in the direction of growing threats to the safety of journalists in Nigeria. This is highlighted by the claim by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the trade union and professional umbrella body of thousands of practicing journalists in Nigeria, that 13 journalists were killed in the course of assignments in the year 2012, representing the highest so far since the country’s independence in 1960. This is beside other forms of attacks, threats and intimidation. However, despite this apparent evidence, an outstanding problem is that of the absence of an assessment that offers an overview and provides basic baseline information on the state of the safety of journalists in the country. The purpose of this project therefore is to undertake an assessment which will provide baseline information and serve as a template for all stakeholders to determine appropriate responses and design strategic intervention programs on the safety of journalists in Nigeria. With UNESCOs Journalists’ Safety Indicator at the National Level serving as a guide, the proposed assessment will identify and analyze the factors responsible for perceived or real declining safety standards, the issues involved, the role and the perspective of the various media stakeholders and the possible solutions to the problem. This project is timely in the context of Nigeria today as the country battles terrorism especially in the North, militant groups in the oil-rich south, impending national elections in 2015 and many low-level conflicts all of which have the potential to put the lives of journalists in danger. Also, since May 2013 a state of emergency has been declared in three states in the north of the country, with lots of limitations of access to information.