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In the recent times, many governments around the world have been taking steps clearly undermining the freedom of the press. In 2020 alone, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Togo, Burundi, Chad, Mali and Guinea also restricted access to the internet or social media applications at some point. In the case of Nigeria, Twitter was blocked from June 4, 2021 till January 13, 2022. As reported by BBC News, ‘In 2019, there were 25 documented instances of partial or total internet shutdowns, compared with 20 in 2018 and 12 in 2017, according to Access Now, an independent monitoring group’.

This event will also look at many other threats apart from the shutdowns and proffer suggestions and recommendation to the media practitioners on how to avoid or deal with the threats in the course of their duties. Furthermore, an important manual on press freedom put together by CJID will be launched on during this event.

Expected at this occasion are Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, Massachusetts, and former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); Toyosi Giwa, Manager, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme; Chris Iziguzo, President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ); Professor Victor Alumah Ayedun, University of Jos; Onwuka Okereke, Abia State University; Dr. Tunde M. Akanni, Lagos State University; Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga, Digital, Media, Gender and Human Rights Advocate; Ejiro Umukoro, MEGA FM, Warri; Hamza Idris, Editor, Daily Trust Newspaper; Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief, Premium Times; Nkem Agunwa, Project Coordinator, Africa at WITNESS; and representatives of the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria and the French Embassy.

The event is part of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s support towards sustaining democracy, governance and security sector reform in Nigeria.