Amnesty International Rallies Journalists Against Rising Human Rights Abuses
As concerns grow over Nigeria’s declining human rights record, Amnesty International Nigeria has launched an initiative to strengthen ethical journalism and human rights advocacy within the media space.
The organization recently convened over 60 journalists from across the South East and Delta State for a two-day intensive workshop in Enugu themed “Human Rights-Centred Journalism.”
The training aimed to empower reporters and media advocates to challenge oppression, promote accountability, and amplify the voices of marginalized groups amid increasing state impunity.
Amnesty International’s Communications Officer, Mr. Michael Christian, said the initiative was inspired by the disturbing rise in human rights violations and the lack of empathy and gender sensitivity in media coverage.
“While many reports are factually accurate, they often fail to capture the human cost of abuse or uphold victims’ dignity,” he noted.
Delivering a paper titled “Press Freedom and the Law: Navigating Legal Risks in Journalism,” Associate Professor Chijioke Agbo of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) decried what he called the “ruling class’s blatant disregard for democratic norms and citizens’ rights.”
He urged the government to repeal the Public Order Act of 1979 and review the Cybercrimes Act, describing it as a “tool of state intimidation” used to silence dissent and restrict press freedom.
Agbo, however, advised journalists to exercise discretion in protecting their sources, reminding them that such protection is “a privilege, not a right.”
Also speaking, Anne Agi, a law lecturer at the University of Calabar, emphasized the importance of gender sensitivity in media reporting. Her session, titled “Journalism with a Gender Lens: Protecting Lives, Shaping Narratives,” urged journalists to report gender-based violence (GBV) with empathy and responsibility.
“Survivors are not case studies; they are people. Let your reporting heal, not harm. Protect, don’t expose. Your stories should restore dignity and drive systemic change,” she advised.
Other facilitators, including Dr. Kabiru Danladi, Hajiya Zainab Okino, and John Omilabu, led discussions on ethics, media safety, and sustained human rights advocacy in journalism.
Participants, among them the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, Mr. Churchill Oyowe, applauded Amnesty International for the timely initiative.
“This programme has reawakened our professional conscience. We are now more committed to practising journalism that defends human rights and promotes accountability,” Oyowe affirmed.
