News

ICIR, AFRICMIL Faults Fed Govt’s Response To Graft Stories

Published

4 years ago

January 26, 2023

…..Laud MacArthur Foundation’s Support For Investigative Journalism

The Federal Government and its agencies have been criticized for failing to take full advantage of investigative corruption reports churned out by media organizations in Nigeria. In contrast, commendations have gone to MacArthur Foundation for supporting the anti-corruption fight in the country.

Two renowned journalists and anti-corruption campaigners who identified the absence of a whistleblower law as a significant difficulty in the fight against corruption made their positions known during PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, an anti-corruption radio programme produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Reacting to the government’s response to corruption reports, The Executive Director International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Dayo Aiyetan, revealed that one of the biggest problems of investigative journalism in Nigeria is the government’s lack of recognition of the constitutional role of the media which is to hold government accountable. He noted that “only about 20 to 30 percent of investigative corruption reports get government reaction”.

Aiyetan lamented the government’s use of state security and anti-graft agents to harass and hound investigative journalists, a development that has further worsened their job and the overall fight against corruption.

“Ten or twenty percent of our work gets the government’s attention, and that’s the tragedy of accountability reporting in Nigeria, sincerely many of us who do investigative reporting work see our work as complimenting government work, but rather than see us as partners, the government are using state institutions, that is the State Security Service (SSS), Department of State Security (DSS), and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney General’s office and all kinds of state agencies to harass us.”

Aiyetan hailed the MacArthur Foundation’s support in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, saying it has massively impacted many journalists – who are now more enlightened, exposed, and emboldened to report events and hold power to account, especially in rural areas.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, He tasked Nigerians to ensure they elect persons of integrity into offices, insisting that credible leadership is of utmost importance to the nation’s development and will influence governance.

Towing a Similar line, Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), commended the MacArthur Foundation for supporting investigative journalism and advocacies on strengthening the whistleblower policy in Nigeria.

Onumah disclosed that the impact of the support from the MacArthur Foundation has been significant over the years and has gone beyond the fight against corruption and investigation to the development of journalists and members of civil society groups.

His words: “MacArthur’s support is not just in investigations, even capacity building, training for journalists, many of our journalists are better today: they are better able to write, better able to report, because of the kind of support and training they get from these foundations. But many of us in civil society are better able to understand advocacy. We can better be frontiers for the rule of law and ensure accountability, taking on the government, taking on the institutions; it’s all thanks to the foundation’s support”.

Onumah noted that there’d been little progress in government reaction to corruption investigations while expressing optimism that a whistleblower draft bill recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will be passed and signed into law despite the limited time left in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He lamented that Nigerians dread reporting corrupt acts because of the shortcomings of the whistleblowing policy, noting that “a national survey after two years of introducing whistleblower policy showed that sampled thousands of people from all walks of life across the country dreaded risking their lives for whistleblowing.

“It’s a policy. A new government can change it any day, but if it’s a law, it can be taken to court and used as a basis for argument. So I think we can’t stop talking about the main imperative of a law.”

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Onumah urged Nigerians to participate in the polls, emphasizing that Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is as good as a whistleblowing tool in this electioneering period.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program used by PRIMORG to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

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Foreign news

Algeria’s Glorious Revolution: Embassy Marks 72nd Anniversary in Abuja

Published

8 hours ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Embassy of Algeria in Nigeria has commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the country’s Glorious Revolution of November 1, 1954, with a reception in Abuja, highlighting Algeria’s liberation struggle and strengthening diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

The event, held on November 9, 2026, at Continental Suites Hotel, attracted prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Federal Government, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other friends of Algeria.

Speaking at the reception, Algeria’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, welcomed guests and paid tribute to the country’s freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle for independence.

He described the November 1, 1954 revolution as the foundation of modern Algeria, noting that the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs made it possible for the country to reclaim its sovereignty.

On Algeria’s development agenda, Mezoued said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration had continued to pursue economic reforms, diversification and national development under its New Algeria vision.

He noted that the country was recording progress in non-hydrocarbon exports, while improvements in the business environment had boosted investor confidence and attracted significant foreign investments.

On foreign policy, the ambassador reaffirmed Algeria’s commitment to non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, peaceful conflict resolution and the right of peoples to self-determination.

Addressing security challenges in the Sahel, he stressed that lasting peace could not be achieved through military measures alone, insisting that economic development, inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes remained essential.

Turning to Nigeria-Algeria relations, Mezoued described the partnership as one founded on shared values and the commitment of both countries’ leaders to advancing African development.

He identified the Trans-Saharan Highway, Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone as major strategic projects receiving attention from both countries.

The ambassador also disclosed that Algeria had continued to provide scholarships to Nigerian students to strengthen human capital development and capacity building.

He further announced that Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian operations on October 26, 2026, with the introduction of two weekly flights to Lagos, expressing confidence that the service would boost trade and tourism.

Looking ahead, Mezoued said 2027 would offer fresh opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly through the fifth Joint High Bi-National Commission scheduled to hold in Abuja.

He expressed optimism that the meeting would provide an opportunity to assess existing partnerships, identify new areas of cooperation and move Nigeria-Algeria relations towards a more practical and results-driven phase.

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