NEWS RELEASE

ASF France Joins Other Partners, West African Digital Rights Defenders Coalition, Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJN), and Article 19 to Mark the World Press Freedom Day 2025 With a Webinar on ‘Freedom of Expression Online in the Global South’

As the world marks the World Press Freedom Day 2025 under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,” ASF France, in partnership with the West African Digital Rights Defenders Coalition, the Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria (HRJN), and Article 19, reaffirms the urgent need to defend press freedom and freedom of expression in Nigeria and across the Global South. The World Press Freedom Day reminds us of the crucial role that a free, independent, and safe media plays in strengthening democracy, protecting human rights, and promoting sustainable development.

To commemorate this year’s occasion, ASF France and its partners hosted a high-level webinar titled “Freedom of Expression Online in the Global South” on the 5th of May, 2025. The event brought together leading voices in digital rights, journalists, and civil society actors across Africa to examine the growing challenges faced by journalists, activists, and citizens online, particularly in regions where state surveillance, internet shutdowns, and repressive laws threaten free expression. The webinar was aimed at sparking dialogues, proposing solutions, and galvanizing collective action for a freer and safer online space in Africa and beyond.

In her keynote address, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria emphasized the importance of press freedom for democracy saying “The press exists to hold power to account and give voice to the people, it is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy. We must work tirelessly to ensure that press freedom is totally achieved in the global south”. Sadibou Marong, Director, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) Sub-Saharan Africa spoke on improving press freedom saying “we must hold perpetrators of press freedom violations to account. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and we must protect it at all costs. We must ceaselessly engage with the relevant authorities to improve press freedom”.

Despite constitutional guarantees, Nigeria continues to grapple with a shrinking civic space, marked by the harassment, intimidation, and arrest of journalists and media professionals. Online and offline, the press faces growing constraints that undermine its ability to hold power to account. Repressive legislation such as sections of the Cybercrime Act and the frequent abuse of digital surveillance tools remain major threats to freedom of expression.

In commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, we call on the Nigerian government and relevant stakeholders to prioritize the protection of journalists and media practitioners. This includes ending impunity for crimes against journalists, reforming laws that restrict press freedom, and fostering an enabling environment for independent journalism and digital expression.

At ASF France, our commitment to press freedom is reinforced through initiatives like the e-RIGHTS Project, which aims to strengthen freedom of expression online and promote data protection and digital rights in Nigeria. We believe that defending press freedom must include protecting the digital spaces where modern journalism now lives. A free press is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of any democratic society.

Signed – Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu,
Country Director,
Avocats Sans Frontières France