CJID launches openness report
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched its Openness Index report.
The publication is Nigeria’s first-ever subnational assessment of press freedom and civic space spanning the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
The initiative is supported by the embassy of The Netherlands in Nigeria.
According to Dapo Olorunyomi, chief executive officer (CEO) of CJID, the pioneering index will combine qualitative and quantitative research to assess the openness of each state.
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He said the index is structured around two main components: enablers, which promote press freedom and civic expression, and inhibitors, which restrict them.
Olorunyomi added that the index draws on insights from over 1,100 professionals, including journalists, editors, newsroom managers, and civil society actors, to examine seven critical dimensions: legal protections, institutional guarantees, journalist safety, media diversity, internet freedom, civic engagement, and government transparency.
The CEO said “the index is about protecting the democratic values that allow people to speak, organise, and hold power to account”.
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He added that it will provide the facts needed to challenge repression, defend press freedom, and open up the civic space.
Akintunde Babatunde, executive director of CJID, highlighted the broader ambitions of the project, noting that it will redefine what openness entails in a democracy.
“As we develop this into a pan-African tool, we hope to influence public discourse and policy reform across the continent. This index builds on CJID’s legacy of data-driven media freedom advocacy,” he said.
The launch event featured remarks from academics and media experts like Umaru Pate, vice chancellor of the federal university Kashere; Tony Iredia, Chris Ogbondah, and Victor Ayedun-Aluma.
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