By Joy Baba-Yesufu
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the Nigerian judiciary to take a central role in strengthening whistleblower protection and ensuring justice for those who expose corruption.
Speaking at the opening of the first National Workshop on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection for Federal High Court judges in Abuja on Thursday, AFRICMIL Coordinator, Dr. Chido Onumah, said the absence of a strong legal framework had left whistleblowers vulnerable to harassment, intimidation, and job loss.
The theme for the workshop is: the judiciary and whistleblower protection in Nigeria: Challenges and Responsibilities.
“Judges are the most important stakeholders in safeguarding whistleblowing and whistleblowers. Without judicial backing, whistleblowing cannot achieve its intended purpose of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance.” Onumah said.
He explained that since the introduction of Nigeria’s whistleblowing policy in 2016 through the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), AFRICMIL has worked with government agencies, civil society, and the media to promote whistleblowing as a civic duty. However, he noted that the judiciary had been largely absent from the conversation until now.
Onumah also referenced regional efforts, including the ECOWAS Whistleblower Protection Strategy unveiled in 2016 and AFRICMIL’s formation of the Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition of West Africa (WACOWA) to push for stronger safeguards across member states.
“Nine years after Nigeria introduced a whistleblowing policy, the absence of a dedicated law has weakened public confidence. Citizens fear retaliation more than corruption itself,” he added.
AFRICMIL urged the government to accelerate the passage of a whistleblower protection bill, stressing that judicial officers will play a decisive role in ensuring its implementation.
In his address, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John T. Tsoho, underscored the vital role of the judiciary in protecting whistleblowers, warning that silencing them undermines the country’s fight against corruption and weakens the justice system.
Tsoho described the judiciary as “the final bastion of justice” in a complex battle against fraud, impunity, and abuse of power.
He noted that without adequate safeguards, whistleblowers risk job loss, social isolation, and even threats to their lives. “When they are silenced or punished, a powerful tool against corruption is lost. This undermines the very foundation of our legal system and our efforts to build a just and transparent society,” he said.
Justice Tsoho stressed that the judiciary’s duty goes beyond interpreting laws to creating an environment of trust where citizens can confidently report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.
Also speaking at the forum, the Executive Director of Tap iNitiative, Mr. Martin Obono, said the gathering was designed to foster collaboration, reflection, and learning among stakeholders.
He explained that the discussions would focus on pressing issues such as ensuring anonymity for whistleblowers, protecting against false or malicious claims, supporting victims of retaliation, and speeding up litigation processes to prevent long delays that discourage whistleblowers.
The workshop, organised in partnership with Tap iNitiative, the National Human Rights Commission, and other civil society organisations, brought together judges of the Federal High Court, heads of anti-corruption agencies, lawyers, and journalists. It aims to equip judicial officers with the tools and knowledge to handle whistleblowing cases effectively.
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