On May 3, Reporters Without Borders released the 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, and Nigeria is currently among 129 out of the 180 countries in the world.
Describing the giant of Africa in its report, the Reporters Without Border said, “one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often watched, attacked, arbitrarily arrested and even killed.
“It can involve pressure, harassment of journalists and media outlets, and even censorship.”
Nigeria was ranked 120 on the World Press Freedom Index in 2021, which was a drop of five spots from its ranking in 2020, and the West African nation drastically dropped to 129 this year.
The index has revealed how Nigeria is getting worse day by day, as the country continued to silence the voices of the press and the masses by extension.
The threat to media freedom in Nigeria is real, as the government keeps disregarding the fundamental human rights of individuals to speak freely.
Commenting on the development, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, in a joint press statement, said, “We need to remind governments at all levels in Nigeria that a free and independent media that can keep the people informed and hold leaders accountable, is essential for a strong and sustainable democracy, including free and fair elections.
“Without it, Nigerians cannot make informed decisions about how they are governed; and address human rights abuses, corruption and abuse of power,” the editors said.
Meanwhile, Ghana ranked 60 on the list; the worst since 2005 when they ranked 66th. There are reports that the Ghanaian press has been under a lot of pressure, which has led journalists to cower for their safety.
According to the Reporters Without Borders, the 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, was assessed based on the accompanying chaos and negative reactions that the press has to deal with in various countries, upon the divulgence of information.
Worst countries for press freedom included Myanmar (176), Turkmenistan (177), Iran (178), Eritrea (179), and North Korea (180).
For the top best, Norway ranked number 1, followed by Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. The United Kingdom made it to spot 24, Australia at 39 and the USA at 42.
