The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has officially launched its Openness Index, a bold new initiative aimed at measuring and promoting transparency, civic freedom, and accountability across Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Speaking at the launch, CJID’s Chief Executive Officer, Dapo Olorunyomi, who described the initiative as a civic and moral imperative in a time of growing democratic challenges.
Olorunyomi said the Openness Index is not merely a data tool but a critical instrument for democratic survival and sustainable development.
“It is a mirror held up to our institutions, our governance, our civil space, and to ourselves,” he said. “It compels us to ask: Are we truly open? Do our societies foster participation? Are our citizens free to speak, to dissent, to organise, and to imagine?”
He warned that without openness, democratic gains could be easily reversed.
“Openness is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” Olorunyomi declared, adding that transparency is essential to both stability and meaningful development. “Democracy without transparency is a hollow shell,” he said.
The Openness Index is designed as a framework for assessing the level of civic freedom, government accountability, and media space across Nigerian states.
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The project aims to empower citizens and institutions alike with evidence and benchmarks for reform. But the CJID CEO made it clear that data alone is insufficient.
“No index alone can safeguard democracy. No data point can defend human rights. No chart can protect the right to dissent. Only people can,” he said.
“Our roles may differ,” Olorunyomi said, “but our mission to promote a livable community defined by fundamental freedoms converges.”
In response to the dwindling health of grassroots journalism and civic reporting in subnational regions, Olorunyomi announced the creation of a Local Media Sustainability Fund — a strategic intervention aimed at empowering local newsrooms and reporters covering governance, development, and civic issues at the community level.
“This Fund will offer a lifeline to media actors working at the grassroots,” he said. “We believe this initiative could mark the beginning of a new era, one where local voices are not only heard but protected, where journalism flourishes beyond urban centres, and where democracy deepens because information flows more equitably.”
According to Olorunyomi, Nigeria’s media discourse has largely overlooked the challenges and importance of state and community-level journalism, where the most consequential stories are unfolding.
The new fund, he said, is part of CJID’s commitment to shifting focus to these underreported regions and bolstering their capacity for impact.
The event also highlighted the collaborative nature of the Openness Index project. Olorunyomi thanked key partners and supporters, including the Government of the Netherlands through its Abuja embassy, which funded the project; Professor Ismail Ibraheem who led the research team; the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism; and the CJID’s board and staff.
“Let this gathering be a space that fosters rigorous inquiry, solidarity, commitment, and renewed purpose,” Olorunyomi urged. “Because ultimately, the openness of our societies is not just a policy matter. It is a choice we must make again and again — to stand for transparency over secrecy, inclusion over exclusion, rights over repression.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) ranked Imo, Bauchi and Lagos states most dangerous and hostile states for journalists to operate in Nigeria.
Imo State in particular was ranked 37th ( last ) out of 36 states including FCT with a dismal score of 40.70%, while Bauchi was ranked 35th with a poor score of 42.69% and Lagos 22nd with a low score of 48.93%.
This was contained in the Openness Index Report released on Thursday by CJID and presented by media scholar Professor Victor Ayedun-Aluma from University of Jos, a professor of Mass Communication and Social Change, assessed the performance of all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in upholding press freedom.
The report reflects and examines a pattern of repression, intimidation, arrest, persecution and obstruction of journalistic work, and a lack of transparency by state actors.
The report attributed Lagos State’s poor ranking as 22nd to the frequent clashes between journalists and law enforcement agents, limited access to public information, and cases of harassment during coverage of protests and political events.
Closely following Imo in the bottom were Ebonyi (41.90%), Bauchi (42.69%), Nasarawa (43.65%), Anambra (44.68%), Sokoto ( 45.22%) and Kaduna ( (45.72%).
Cross River State—once notorious for high-profile cases of journalist intimidation—was ranked first with a score of 70.40%, credited for improved openness and a relatively safer environment for journalists in recent years. It was followed by Ondo (63.72%), Delta (63.03%), Katsina (57.51%), Ekiti (57.09%) and Gombe ( 56.05%).
Speaking during the report presentation in Abuja, Prof. Ayedun-Aluma said the findings expose the “uneven and often hostile landscape of media freedom in Nigeria,” and stressed the need for urgent action at the state level.
“While the federal government often receives the spotlight for press repression, the report reveals that the real battles for media freedom are being fought at the subnational level.
“We need better laws, more transparency, and state actors who respect the role of the press,” he said.
The report puts the National average of press freedom at 50.1%.
The CJID report recommends that state governments enact or strengthen freedom of information laws at the state level and train law enforcement officers to respect journalists’ rights during protests and political coverage and hold public officials accountable for abuses against journalists.
Titled “State of Press Freedom in Nigeria: 2024 Subnational Report,” the study measured various indicators including journalists’ access to information, cases of harassment and intimidation, transparency of government institutions, and legal frameworks supporting or restricting media practice.
It also recommends states promote access to public records and ensure government communication is transparent and create independent media ombudsman structures to handle press-related complaints.
The study further revealed that, on average, southern states performed better in terms of press freedom than their northern counterparts, with the South-South zone taking the lead.
This trend, CJID said, may be linked to increased civic engagement, stronger media presence, and growing digital literacy in the South.
Nonetheless, the organization warns that no state in the country has yet achieved an ideal press freedom environment.
