Nigeria recorded 245 incidents of civic space violations in 2025, with state actors involved in 219 of the cases, a new report by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has found.
The report, titled ‘Silenced Voices, Shrinking Space: Civic Freedoms Under Pressure,’ indicated that the incidents were documented through systematic monitoring of reports published by 54 media organisations between January and December 2025.
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The incidents were referenced in 570 media reports, according to the fourth edition of WSCIJ’s longitudinal documentation of Nigeria’s civic space.
“Data was collected through continuous monitoring of reports on civic space violations across physical and digital spaces. Every incident was verified through cross-checking with multiple credible sources before inclusion in the dataset. Where additional context was required, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were conducted.
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“To avoid duplication, incidents reported by multiple media organisations were counted as a single verified incident. Overall, the report analysed 245 verified incidents referenced in reports published by 54 media organisations.
“The media outlets monitored for this study comprised a diverse mix of national, regional, and specialised news organisations. They included 16 newspapers with print and online editors, 26 online-only news platforms, 10 television stations, and two radio stations,” the report stated.
The report said the findings showed that Nigeria’s civic space remained under significant pressure despite the country’s democratic system and constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights.
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It also identified the Nigeria Police Force as being involved in 118 of the 219 incidents involving state actors.
Citizens increasingly affected
According to the report, there was a notable shift in the pattern of civic space infringements, with a sharp increase in incidents affecting ordinary citizens.
It said restrictions were increasingly extending beyond newsrooms to broader forms of public participation, dissent and democratic engagement.
The report also found that physical attacks, while still a serious concern, were not the only form of restriction documented during the period under review.
It recorded 145 incidents, representing 59.2 per cent of the total, involving non-violent administrative, legal and institutional measures. State actors accounted for 89.4 per cent of all the documented incidents, while the police featured in more than half of the cases involving state actors.
“An analysis of non-violent incidents revealed that arrests constituted the most prevalent form of infringement, accounting for 49 cases (33.79%) of all documented non-violent violations. Detention also emerged as a significant form of non-violent violations, representing 21 incidents (14.48%) of all non-violent violations. Harassment accounted for 15 incidents (10.34%) of all non-violent violations, with a case recorded under regulatory sanctions or fines imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission,” the report stated.
The Executive Director of the Media Career Development Network, Lekan Otufodunrin, who reviewed the report during its presentation, said Abuja and Lagos emerged as major hotspots for documented civic space violations.
He said the findings pointed to persistent challenges facing journalism and civic participation in Nigeria despite democratic governance.
The report was reviewed before its public presentation by a panel that included Ernest Ereke, Professor of Political Economy and Development Studies at the University of Abuja; Austin Iwar, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police; Lekan Otufodunrin; Juliana Francis, Publisher of Security News Alert; Theophilus Abbah, Executive Director of Daily Trust Foundation; Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change; and Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director and CEO of WSCIJ.
Journalists face difficult working conditions
The report’s findings were discussed at a stakeholder dialogue following its presentation, where participants raised concerns about the safety and working conditions of journalists in Nigeria.
The panellists said journalists continue to face threats from state actors, politicians and party agents. They also raised concerns about the role of media organisations and professional bodies, saying economic dependence and fragmentation can leave them unable to adequately respond to threats facing journalists.
According to the WSCIJ account of the discussion, panellists also identified precarious working conditions, including low pay and lack of full-time employment, as challenges affecting journalists. They said such conditions could create a culture of silence and survival and, in some cases, push journalists towards unethical practices.
The panellists called for stronger advocacy and enlightenment of policymakers, better legal protections for journalists and greater efforts by media bodies to hold employers accountable for poor treatment of journalists.
Motunrayo Alaka, WSCIJ’s Executive Director and CEO, said the centre monitors civic space because investigative journalism can only thrive when citizens and the media are free to operate without fear.
The report is the latest in WSCIJ’s longitudinal documentation of civic space in Nigeria. It builds on previous editions, including Hushed Voices and the Media’s Defence of Civic Space (2012–2022), Hushed Voices in an Election Year (2023)and Shrinking Freedoms (2024).
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