PRESS RELEASE
10 December 2025
Lagos, Nigeria
Defending Our Everyday Essentials: CEMESO Highlights Press Freedom as a Cornerstone of Human Rights in Nigeria
As the world observes Human Rights Day 2025 under the global theme “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials,” the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) joins voices across Nigeria and the world in affirming that press freedom and freedom of expression are not abstract ideals—they are daily necessities for democracy, justice, and accountability.
In an era marked by uncertainty, widening inequality, and a rising sense of public disillusionment, the theme of this year’s Human Rights Day serves as a powerful reminder: human rights are not lofty concepts reserved for courtrooms and treaties—they are the moral and practical compass that guide our daily lives. They shape how we access healthcare, speak our minds, seek justice, express identity, and demand accountability from those in power. When these rights are upheld, societies flourish. When they are violated, democracy falters and public trust erodes.
Too often taken for granted or dismissed as technical jargon, human rights are, in truth, the quiet architecture behind our collective dignity. They are the everyday essentials that empower citizens to question, to organize, to build, and to dream. This year’s campaign invites us to re-engage with these values—not as distant principles, but as the living foundation of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. Defending press freedom, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring equal access to truth are not optional acts—they are the lifeblood of democratic life.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director of CEMESO, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, emphasized that “freedom of expression is the nerve center of democratic life. When journalists cannot report freely, when citizens cannot access truthful information without fear, every other right becomes vulnerable.”
CEMESO notes with deep concern the growing climate of intimidation surrounding media professionals. In the past year alone, multiple cases have been documented where journalists were harassed, arrested, or physically assaulted while covering sensitive issues such as elections, insecurity, and public finance. The chilling effect of these threats is tangible: stories go unreported, media houses exercise self-censorship, and public discourse suffers.
“Press freedom is not a luxury for stable times—it is the lifeline of our democratic future. When we stifle the press, we undermine the people’s right to know, to question, and to participate,” Dr. Akingbulu added.
CEMESO, which works to promote media rights, protection for journalists, and institutional reform, calls on all stakeholders to take immediate, coordinated action:
To the Federal Government and National Assembly: Implement legal reforms, including revising laws that restrict press freedom and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act to address the liberty, sustainability and digitisation of the broadcasting industry.
To the Judiciary: Safeguard freedom of expression by upholding constitutional protections and rejecting the misuse of laws that punish journalistic work.
To Security Agencies: Cease arbitrary arrests and harassment of journalists, and hold officers accountable for violations against media workers.
To Media Organisations: Invest in journalist safety, digital security, and legal preparedness to protect staff from rising threats.
To Civil Society and the International Community: Sustain advocacy and diplomatic engagement to defend the civic space and support legal reforms that protect press freedom.
Dr. Akingbulu concluded that: “On this Human Rights Day, we must recognise that journalism is not a crime, and truth is not a threat. Let us recommit—collectively, courageously, and consistently—to defending press freedom as an everyday essential.”
Media Contact
Timothy Bamidele
Programme Manager
Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO)
tbamidele@cemeso.org
+234 805 654 4562
General Contact: info@cemeso.org
