Q & AAfrica

Buhari’s Rhetoric Doesn’t Match the Dismal Reality of Press Freedom in Nigeria

Buhari’s Rhetoric Doesn’t Match the Dismal Reality of Press Freedom in Nigeria
Journalists protest against brutality in the course of doing their job after photo journalist Benedict Uwalaka was beaten up in Lagos, Nigeria, Aug. 16, 2012 (AP photo by Sunday Alamba).

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series about press freedom and safety in various countries around the world.

As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari prepares his re-election bid for February 2019, he is positioning himself as a leader who prizes good governance, accountability and human rights. But watchdogs point out that his record on press freedom tells a different story, as journalists in Nigeria face an uptick in repression under his watch. In an interview with WPR, Angela Quintal, the Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, discusses the threatening environment for reporters in Africa’s most populous nation.

World Politics Review: How have journalists historically been treated in Nigeria, and what measures are in place to protect journalists there?

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