The Media and the Challenges of Democratic Governance in Nigeria
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Abstract:
This study explores the role of the media in the challenges of democratic governance in Nigeria. The media plays a crucial role in any democratic society, serving as a platform for information dissemination, public discourse, and holding government accountable. However, Nigeria, like many other countries, faces significant challenges in achieving effective democratic governance, including corruption, political instability, and limited citizen participation. This paper examines how the media in Nigeria both contributes to and faces challenges in promoting democratic governance. It highlights the power of the media in shaping public opinion, fostering transparency, and facilitating citizen engagement. Additionally, it identifies the obstacles that impede the media’s ability to fulfill its democratic responsibilities, such as government censorship, lack of media independence, and financial constraints. The media can contribute to democratic governance in Nigeria by providing accurate and timely information to the public, facilitating open and inclusive debates, and exposing corruption and mismanagement. Through investigative journalism, the media can hold government officials accountable for their actions, contributing to increased transparency and reducing the likelihood of abuse of power. However, the media in Nigeria faces several challenges that hinder its ability to fulfill these roles. Government censorship and restrictions on freedom of expression limit the media’s independence and its ability to report objectively on issues of public concern. Media organizations also struggle with financial constraints, which can compromise their professionalism and lead to biased reporting or reliance on external influences. To overcome these challenges and enhance the media’s role in democratic governance, Nigeria needs to prioritize media freedom, enact and enforce laws that protect journalists, and promote media pluralism. It is essential to create an enabling environment for independent journalism to flourish, ensuring that media organizations have the necessary resources and autonomy to operate effectively. Furthermore, media literacy programs and initiatives should be implemented to enhance citizens’ critical thinking and ability to assess information. By equipping citizens with media literacy skills, they can distinguish between reliable and misleading information, fostering an informed and engaged electorate. In conclusion, the media plays a critical role in addressing the challenges of democratic governance in Nigeria. While it has the potential to foster transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement, it faces significant obstacles that impede its effectiveness. By addressing these challenges through promoting media freedom, supporting independent journalism, and enhancing media literacy, Nigeria can harness the transformative power of the media and strengthen its democratic governance for the benefit of its citizens.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Contents
CHAPTER ONE. 2
INTRODUCTION.. 2
1.1 Background of the Study. 2
1.2 Statement of Problem.. 5
1.3 Research Questions. 6
1.4 Objectives of the Study. 6
1.5 Assumptions. 7
1.6 Significance of the Study. 7
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study. 7
1.8 Methods of Data Collection and Analysis. 8
1.9 Definition of Concepts. 8
1.10 Outline of Chapters. 10
CHAPTER TWO.. 11
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.. 11
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW… 11
2.2 Democracy. 11
2.3 Democratic Governance. 13
2.4 Media. 16
2.4.1 Nature of the Media and Roles of the Media. 16
2.5 The Nexus between Media and Democracy. 18
2.6 Mass Media and Democratic Governance in Nigeria. 22
2.7 Theoretical framework. 27
REFERENCES. 29
CHAPTER THREE. 31
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.. 31
3.0 Introduction. 31
3.1 EMERGENCE OF THE MEDIA IN NIGERIA.. 31
3.2 MEDIA AND THE RETURN TO CIVIL RULE IN NIGERIA.. 33
CHAPTER FOUR.. 39
The Role of the Mass Media and its Challenges in Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria. 39
4.0 Introduction. 39
4.1 Mass Media Role in Consolidating Democracy in Nigeria. 39
4.2 Challenges of Mass Media in Consolidating Democracy in Nigeria. 43
CHAPTER FIVE. 47
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 47
5.0 Introduction. 47
5.1 SUMMARY.. 47
5.2 CONCLUSION.. 48
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS. 49
REFERENCES. 51
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Over the past two decades, Sub-Saharan (simply ‘Africa’) has been partly transformed by the winds of democratic change (Diamond, 2010), sequel to the collapse of Soviet Unions in the 20th century. But democratic structures and processes in Nigeria’s history had suffered debilitating distortion, and in some cases, total destruction during theprolonged period of military incursion into politics, which prevailed continuously since 1966 till 1999 before the country returned to another civil rule in May 1999 (Asobie, 2005). In all these years of dictatorship, Nigerians through the media clamoured persistently for a free debate on the grand norms, the fundamental principles and, the basic structures that would constitute the foundation for the practice of democratic politics in a post military era.
Meanwhile, the media systems in Africa are still as insecure and volatile as unstable political and social structures compared to the developed nations (Hutchten, 1971). Apparently, the roles and priorities of the media in a developed nation like United States of America can never be the same in a developing nation like Nigeria with a fledgling democracy- a nation still scrambling for its own identity in the comity of nations. However, the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm carries an entrenched assumption that is often taken for granted. For not only is it made to appear as having constitutional backing, but also that our modern mass communication media as ‘neutral’ reporters and filters of news and information are an obvious necessity for democracy (Eziokwu, 2004), a condition for the nurturing and sustenance of democracy.
The media are not only chief makers and movers of national development; they are also products and mirrors of the socio-economic and political structures of a nation.
Thus, a meaningful appraisal of the role the media played in Nigeria’s development must take into account ideological aspects of the relationship between the media as a watchdog and the historical and cultural settings of the country.
Historically, Nigeria is not only the most populous country in African content, but also, the largest single geographical unit along the West Coast of Africa, and the largest black nation in the world (Egbon, 2002).
Regrettably, the Nigerian state like many African states, right from independence has been confronted with the problems of economic development and that of nation building. Reflecting on the problems hounding the continent, Omoera (2006) notes that:
Contemporary Africa is plagued by a myriad of problems.
From North to South, East to West, pervasive corruption, hunger,
political, religious and ethnic crisis, unemployment, illiteracy,
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic, internal and external brain drains, and so on,
are plaguing the continent.
The leadership is almost overwhelmed by these developmental needs
and ever-multiplying challenges.
The aforementioned quote rightly captures the sorry state of affairs that the ardent political leadership in Africa may have foisted on the people and the society. As a political unit (in terms of democracy), African states (Nigeria) may still be said to be relatively young compared to the European nations simply due to persistent and long incursion of the military into mainstream politics. Thus, the exit of the military and politicians in uniform from Nigeria’s political space served as a stimulus to the aspiration of the Nigerian populace for true political unit, which derives from a democratic process. The desirability of democracy over the pretense of the militarized politics was concisely noted by Igili(2005) as:
Virtually all Nigerians believed that the exit, which resulted,
to the return of democratic government will finally put paid to
the leadership problems, which characterized the military regime.
This explains the ardour with which the Nigerian populace embraced
thereturn to civil rule in 1999.
Constitutionally, the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifies the role of the media in Section 22 of its 1999 constitution as follows:
The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media
shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives and uphold
the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people (FGN, 1999).
This section of the constitution recognizes, among others, the role of the mass media in exercising a watchdog role over the affairs of government. For without free and open expression, citizens will not have access to the quality information they need to arrive at a rational judgment on national issues. Based on this recognition, the Nigerian media have cultivated a strong agitation and tradition that has been helping to ensure that the government lives up to its responsibilities. The drive for the progressive realization of rights and freedom, in the context of the right to development, is another hopeful sign for making that the constitution is justifiable to the people. In this respect, Ojo (2003) is of the view that:
To all intents and purposes, the mass media need to be much moredetermined
in the nascent democracy if they want to be reckoned with as apotent force
ofsociopolitical and economic transformation cum development of state.
In Nigeria, the performance of the mass media in the democratic process at various phases of our history has been well documented (Yusuf, 2001; Nwosu, 2003; Oso and Pate, 2010). Arguably, the mass media have remained in the forefront in the struggle to promote rights of our people through a credible democratic process (Pate, 2012).
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