Nigeria has been ranked 112th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), marking an improvement of 10 places from its 122nd position in 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that with a score of 48.11 out of 100, the country returned to its 2024 standing after a dip last year. However, despite the upward movement, Nigeria remains classified in the “difficult” category for press freedom.
The RSF index evaluates countries based on five indicators — economic, legal, security, political, and social conditions affecting journalism. Nigeria recorded gains in four of the five categories, with a slight decline of 0.99 points in the social indicator.
Describing the media environment, RSF stated:
“Nigeria is one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are regularly monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested.”
The report highlighted persistent risks during election periods, noting:
“Electoral periods continue to bring significant violence against media professionals. In August 2024, around thirty journalists were assaulted, arrested and targeted with tear gas or gunfire while covering the social protests shaking the country.”
It also raised concerns over accountability, adding:
“Crimes committed against journalists continue to go unpunished, even when the perpetrators are known or apprehended.
“There is almost no state mechanism for protection. In fact, the authorities keep investigative journalists under close surveillance and do not hesitate to threaten and arbitrarily detain them.”
Globally, Norway retained the top position for the 10th consecutive year with 92.72 points, while Eritrea ranked last for the third straight year. RSF also noted that Syria recorded the biggest improvement in 2026, climbing 36 places following post-Assad developments.
The organisation warned of a broader global decline in press freedom, revealing that more than half of the world’s countries are now classified as “difficult” or “very serious” for the first time in the index’s 25-year history.
“The overall average score of all the countries assessed has never been so low,” RSF said.
“In over half of the world’s countries and territories (52.2%), the state of press freedom is categorised as ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious’. This category was a small minority (13.7%) in 2002.
“In 2002, 20% of the global population lived in a country where the state of press freedom was categorised as ‘good’. Twenty-five years later, less than 1% of the world’s population lives in a country that falls under this category.”
RSF described the findings as evidence of a worsening global climate for journalism and called for urgent action to protect press freedom.
“By providing a retrospective of the past 25 years, RSF isn’t just looking back — it’s looking squarely at the future with a simple question: how much longer will we tolerate the suffocation of journalism, the systematic obstruction of reporters and the continued erosion of press freedom?” the report stated.
“Although attacks on the right to information are more diverse and sophisticated, their perpetrators are now operating in plain sight.
“Authoritarian states, complicit or incompetent political powers, predatory economic actors and under-regulated online platforms are directly and overwhelmingly responsible for the global decline in press freedom.
“Given this context, inaction is a form of endorsement. It’s no longer enough just to state principles — effective measures to protect journalists are essential and must be seen as a catalyst for change.
“This starts with ending the criminalisation of journalism: the misuse of national security laws, SLAPPs, and the systematic obstruction of those who investigate, expose and name names.”
