IBB’s Portrayal Of Nigerian Media: A Loyal Adversary Or Government’s Frenemy?
By John Andah
As a devoted historian of Nigeria’s media landscape, I approached the recently launchedautobiography of former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.), withkeen interest – particularly to see how he reflected on his relationship with the press. But onedetail caught my attention: his portrayal of the Nigerian media as ‘adversarial’ and stuck in aperpetual ‘we-versus-the-government’ battle.
Reflecting on the brutal assassination of revered investigative journalist and Editor-in-Chief ofNewswatch, Dele Giwa, the former Nigerian leader graciously took a moment to remind us thatthe Nigerian media has had an ‘adversarial attitude’ towards the government.
He said, ‘The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder. As istypical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards thegovernment, which had remained the hallmark of the Nigerian media from its colonial heyday.
‘It was an attitude of “we versus the government” that has remained today. It is a situation inwhich the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced’.
IBB’s commentary on media ‘hysteria’ in the Dele Giwa case inadvertently confirms whatjournalists have known for decades: Nigerian leaders have a long-standing allergy toaccountability.
Ironically, the media, which should be the government’s trusted compass for truth andtransparency, is instead labeled a hostile force or frenemy.
History has shown that the Nigerian media’s so-called ‘adversarial attitude’ did not emerge froma vacuum. It was born out of necessity, sharpened by colonial resistance, and refined throughyears of military rule, censorship, and dictatorship.
What the former Nigerian leader seemingly overlooked is that this ‘adversarial’ press was thevery force that helped Nigeria gain independence in 1960. Recall that the West African Pilot,founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe, was at the forefront of the nationalist movement, using ink andpaper to fight the British colonialists in ways that rifles and bayonets could not. The NigerianTribune, established by Obafemi Awolowo, also served as a loudspeaker for self-governance,amplifying the call for an end to foreign rule.
Journalists were imprisoned, harassed, and intimidated for speaking truth to power. And thishappened long before the name of the fearless Dele Giwa was ever whispered in Nigerianhistory. The dailies at the time did not just report news; they shaped Nigeria’s destiny. But, ofcourse, history rarely remembers its true heroes.
One thing is clear: the former military president’s criticism of the media echoes a long-standingpattern – Nigerian governments repeatedly mistaking calls for accountability as a personalattack.
As reported by the New York Times of December 29, 1986, Nigerian newspapers, despite facinggovernment hostility, maintained a subtle yet persistent campaign for justice by placing smallboxes in obscure corners of their pages with the question: ‘Who Killed Dele Giwa?’
When journalists ask questions, they are labeled troublemakers; when they demandtransparency, they suddenly become public enemies working against ‘national security’. Ifholding leaders accountable is considered ‘adversarial’, then perhaps the government shouldquestion its own reflection in this mirror.
Even today, this ‘adversarial’ media continues to fight for the Nigerian people. In 2020,journalists played a crucial role in exposing human rights violations during the #EndSARSprotests, despite crackdowns, arrests, and media blackouts. In 2023, investigative reportersuncovered corruption in government contracts, inflated budgets, and financial mismanagementthat otherwise would have been swept under the rug.
Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice journalism, withmedia houses routinely raided, reporters harassed, and censorship laws tightened to silencedissent. And yet, the government still wonders why the press is ‘adversarial?’
The media’s role is not to romance the government but to hold it accountable. Nigeria’sdevelopment hinges on a governance system that values transparency, responsiveness, andaccountability.
This is why the media and civil society are vital.
The government must understand that public trust is earned, not imposed. And the best way tosilence an ‘adversarial’ press is not through intimidation but through good governance. Citizensdeserve leaders who answer for their actions, and a government that listens to its people andengages with the press will always be remembered for progress, not for cover-ups.
Andah is a development journalist and Executive Director of ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication.
