•Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu emerge as most open states
Stories by Stanley Onyekwere
As part of its effort to deepen democratic norms and press freedom, Centre for journalism Innovation & Development (CJID) yesterday launched its inaugural Openness Index Report in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to help tackle the lack of a systematic, evidence-based way of measuring subnational variations in openness.
Our correspondent reports that the maiden C|ID Openness lndex examined the overall outcome for national, regional, and state rankings for the 2024 calendar year.
According to the Report, Cross River, Ekiti, and Enugu emerge as the most open states, as they scored the highest in the composite Index, reflecting relatively strong legal protections, a climate of political tolerance, and fewer severe incidents of press freedom violations.
It added that Cross River, in particular, stood out for its relatively enabling media environment and the minimal harassment of civil society actors.
However, it revealed that the lowest performing states based on the perception index are Anambra, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Ebonyi,and Imo states, given that they all performed below average on indicators that appraised political tolerance, media
independence, and behaviour of the security forces, reflecting a repressive environment.
Also, twelve states ranked as average enablers, including Katsina State (57.51%), Abia State (53.15%), and Kwara State (50.5396), twenty-two states ranked as inhibitors, including FCT Abuja (49.28%), Jigawa State (48.95%), Lagos State (48.93%), Akwa lbom State (47.81%), Kaduna State (45.72%), and Imo State (40.70%) – the worst performing federating unit.
It noted that no state ranked as an extreme inhibitor of press freedom and freedom of expression in the national figures, economic factor is identifed as the most severe inhibitor of press freedom and freedom of expression.
According to Professor Victor Ayidun-Aluma, Professor of Mass Communication and Social Change, at the University of Jos, who presented the Report on behalf of the Research Team, the findings of the CJID Openness Index confirm that openness in Nigeria is uneven, fragile, and deeply influenced by state-level leadership, institutional strength, and societal resilience.
He added that while some states demonstrate promising practices that others can emulate, many continue to inhibit openness through repression, neglect, or both.
He also stated the Report proffered specific recommendations tailored to different stakeholders, aimed at strengthening openness,
protecting the democratic space, and sustaining progress where it exists.
Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer, CJID, Dapo Olorunyomi, noted that the inaugural index Report is a call to action as it offers policy makers, journalists, civil society actors, and citizens a clear, comparative view of how their states are doing, and where work is needed, because by setting key benchmarks, it creates a framework for accountability and reform.
Olorunyomi said: “We offer this index as a tool to question, to reflect, and to act. The defence of openness is the defence of democracy itself.
“This version of the index is designed for broad public engagement. Later this year, we will release a more detailed, technical version of the report, with expanded methodology, deeper analysis, and comparative framing for broader African application. Together, these versions will help shape a fuller Conversation on freedom and accountability in Nigeria and across the continent.”
Similarly, the Executive Director, CJID, Akintunde Babatunde, who reiterated that the Openness Index inaugural edition covers all 36 states and the FCT, opined that the vision does not stop there as CJID plans to expand it
into a pan-African platform, by providing similar assessments across the continent.
This, according to him, will establish the Index as a permanent, African-owned benchmark for tracking the health of democratic openness state by state.
“By shining a light on where freedom lives and where it is under threat, the CJID Openness Index empowers governments, civil society, donors, and citizens to defend and expand the spaces where democracy can flourish”, he stated.
High point of the event was the official unveiling of the maiden Index Report by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Nigeria, HE Bengt Van Loosdrecht.
Also, there were two panel sessions on the state of the Media and Civic Space in Nigeria; and Reflecting on the Report Findings: What Next?. Some of the panelists include Professor Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor, Federal University Kashere, Gombe State, Professor Tonnie Iredia, Professor of Media Law and Broadcast Management professor Chris Ogbondah, Professor of Journalism, Idris Akinbajo, Managing Editor, Premium Times; and CEO and Executive Director, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSIC) and amongst others.
