Nigeria saw 245 civic space violations in 2025, report finds

Nigeria recorded 245 incidents of civic space violations in 2025, with state actors implicated in 219 of these cases, according to a new report by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ). The report, titled 'Silenced Voices, Shrinking Space: Civic Freedoms Under Pressure,' analyzed data from 54 media organizations over the year.

The WSCIJ documented these incidents through systematic monitoring of media reports, verifying each case with credible sources and conducting Key Informant Interviews when necessary. The Nigeria Police Force was identified as the state actor involved in the highest number of cases, appearing in 118 of the 219 incidents involving state actors. The report highlights that Nigeria's civic space remains under significant pressure despite constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights.

According to the findings, there has been a notable shift in the pattern of violations, with a sharp increase in incidents affecting ordinary citizens. Restrictions are expanding beyond newsrooms to encompass broader forms of public participation, dissent, and democratic engagement. While physical attacks remain a concern, non-violent administrative, legal, and institutional measures constituted the majority of restrictions.

The report detailed that arrests were the most prevalent form of non-violent infringement, accounting for 33.79% of all documented non-violent violations. Detention and harassment also emerged as significant issues. These findings underscore a shrinking space for civic engagement and freedom of expression in Nigeria, with state actors playing a dominant role in these infringements.