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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark the 2025 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) has urged media professionals to critically assess the state of press freedom in the country, particularly in light of the rapid digital transformation and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
This year’s theme, ‘Navigating the AI Frontier: Strengthening Press Freedom in Nigeria’s Digital Transformation’, underscored the need to balance the opportunities and risks presented by AI in journalism.
The NPC stressed the importance of harnessing AI to enhance investigative journalism, data analysis, and audience engagement, while also safeguarding press freedom, ethical journalism, and the public’s right to accurate information.
The Executive Secretary/CEO, NPC, Dili Ezughah, in a press release, yesterday, called on journalists to remain vigilant against the dangers posed by AI-generated misinformation and disinformation.
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His words: “We must collectively address how to harness the opportunities of Al while safeguarding the fundamental principles of press freedom, ethical journalism, and the public’s right to accurate information.
“As gatekeepers of information, journalists must uphold the highest ethical standards and verify all content, particularly in this era where synthetic deepfakes undermine journalism.
“We believe that a free, independent, and professional press remains essential to Nigeria’s democratic development, even as the methods and tools of journalism continue to evolve.”
Ezughah noted that Nigeria’s press freedom ranking has slipped by 10 places to 122nd in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, with Reporters Without Borders citing threats to editorial independence, government interference, and economic pressures on media outlets as key concerns.
Meanwhile, media stakeholders and civil society organisations, including the Media Rights Agenda, have also raised the alarms about the dual-edged nature of AI in journalism-offering tools for greater reach and efficiency, but also enabling the spread of disinformation and undermining independent voices.
