Abuja: The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has ranked Cross River as the most open state in Nigeria in terms of freedom of expression, as revealed by its 2024 Openness Index. The report, however, flagged Lagos, Ebonyi, Imo, Bauchi, and Nasarawa States as the lowest-ranked in this regard.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Openness Index was first launched in July and represents Nigeria’s initial systematic approach to evaluating openness across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The index assesses conditions that enable civic expression, media freedom, and citizen participation, drawing insights from over 1,100 respondents and verified incident tracking.
CJID’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, represented by Deputy Director Ms. Busola Ajibola, emphasized during a capacity building and stakeholders’ engagement event in Abuja that the health of democracy is gauged not only by institutions but also by the citizens’ ability to speak, organize, and dissent without fear. He highlighted that Nigeria’s federal structure leads to varying realities of press freedom and civic participation across states, a disparity the Index seeks to address.
The findings revealed that Cross River achieved the highest ranking for tolerance of dissent, proactive information disclosure, and providing a relatively safe environment for journalists and civic actors. Katsina and Ekiti also emerged as top-performing states. In contrast, Imo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, and Ebonyi were listed among the lowest performing states, with Lagos noted for incidents of harassment, detention, and killings of journalists despite being the nation’s commercial and media hub.
Olorunyomi clarified that the CJID Openness Index is the first comprehensive effort to systematically assess openness across Nigeria, combining live citizen experiences with verified incident tracking. He described the findings as both sobering and hopeful, suggesting that openness is not guaranteed and requires deliberate action to expand, while neglect can quickly erode rights and civic freedoms.
The Index serves as a call to action for policymakers, journalists, civil society, and citizens, providing a comparative view of states and highlighting areas in need of reform. By setting benchmarks, the Index offers a framework for accountability and reform, covering laws, safety, access, and institutional conditions that ensure every voice matters.
Olorunyomi shared that the current version is designed for public engagement, with a more detailed technical report to be released later in the year, featuring expanded methodology and deeper analysis for broader African application. He urged stakeholders to use the Index as a benchmark for accountability and reform, recognizing it as a tool to strengthen civic space, protect press freedom, and safeguard citizens’ rights.