The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have called on the Federal Government, state governors, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to protect journalists and urgently address worsening insecurity and human rights violations across several parts of northern Nigeria, including Benue, Borno, Kwara, Plateau, and Sokoto states.
The call followed a conference and interactive session on “the Role of the Media in Promoting People’s Rights, Accountability, and Access to Justice in the Context of Growing Insecurity in Nigeria” held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, jointly organised by SERAP and NGE to mark World Press Freedom Day.
In a joint statement, the groups said “protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity are central drivers of peace, security, and democratic stability.”
They added that “any credible peace, recovery, or security strategy in Nigeria must integrate support for free, independent, and pluralistic media alongside humanitarian, institutional, and economic responses.”
SERAP and NGE stated that Nigerian authorities at all levels have binding constitutional and international obligations to protect journalists and end insecurity and impunity, adding that the Tinubu administration, state governors, and the FCT minister must exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate, and remedy human rights violations, while ensuring justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators and their sponsors.
They noted that UNESCO’s theme for the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference, “Shaping a Future of Peace,” underscores “the centrality of a free, independent, and viable media ecosystem to peace, security, and sustainable development.”