The International Press Centre (IPC) yesterday announced the launch of the “The Nigerian Journalists Internet Rights Initiative (NJIRI)” in Lagos.
The launch was to mark the 2018 World Press Freedom being celebrated by all media practitioners and stakeholders around the globe.
The launch of the initiative (NJIRI) had majority of the media heavyweights in attendance. An NJIRI blog was also officially commissioned at the event. The blog will serve as a tool for journalists to access online resources.
Today almost every journalist is moving towards the digital direction. They makes cases, analyses, express opinions either through article or broadcast.
These analyses, cases or opinions could mar their professions forever if they are not protected. That is the problem the NJIRI will solve.
The interesting part of the Initiative is this. Journalists will have the will to express themselves online without fear or favour.
Importantly, “it is premised on ensuring that internet spaces and online platforms are safe and free of institutional limitations for journalists and other media practitioners to use as mediums of information and engagement,” says Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade.
Dr. Quasim Akinreti, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) was present. Taiwo Obe, Founder, Journalism Clinic was there. Dr. Tunde Akanni, School of Communication, Lagos State University was also present at the launch of the Initiative. And others too.
Dr Akanni presented a research report titled “Issues in frameworks, freedom of expression and Internet rights in Nigeria: A baseline research by the Nigerian Journalists Internet Rights Initiative (NJIRI).”
In that research, Dr Akanni highlighted some of the burning issues, as well as practical recommendations. The report ought to have been given to stakeholder groups at the launch. But would be made available to them in no distant time. However, the report was a key feature of the official launch of the NJIRI.
It’s good that the IPC recognizes the need to use the World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness. The world should be aware of the importance of freedom of the press. The government has a duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.
This is a basic fundamental human right. This is enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is dated far back in 1991. When a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek.
This is why organizations like Paradigm Initiative and IPC are calling for the prompt Assent of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill. This bill has been passed months ago. And the government is expected to speedily take action.
The Bill was passed by the House of Representatives on December 19, 2017, and was similarly passed by the Senate, on March 13.
The piece of legislation is “an act to provide for the Protection of Human Rights Online, To Protect Internet Users in Nigeria From Infringement of their Fundamental Freedoms and to Guarantee Application of Human Rights for users of Digital platform and/or digital Media and for Related Matters.”
It wasn’t just a launch in Lagos yesterday. Journalists and media practitioners were also tutored on certain areas. A large part of the sessions addressed the challenges which many online journalist face. While some were focused on how journalists could make money leveraging the internet.
Further, there was an increase in awareness on the Bill. And how to engage stakeholders to advocate for prompt Presidential assent of the Bill.
There were presentations delivered by Paradigm Initiative, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the (Online) Nation Newspaper.
NJIRI is being supported by International Freedom of Exchange (IFEX), an international freedom of expression organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
