Digital Threats Top Agenda as IPC, CEMESO Prepare Reporters for Ekiti Election

By Kemi Folarin

The International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) held a virtual engagement for journalists, media stakeholders, and civil society actors on Tuesday, placing digital threats at the top of the agenda as they prepare reporters for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026.

The focus was on digital rights, cybersecurity, and election reporting ahead of the poll.

The event was organised under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) programme.

Its goal is to strengthen media professionalism and provide journalists with tools for safe, ethical, and responsible coverage in a complex digital landscape.

IPC Executive Director Lanre Arogundade opened the Zoom session on Tuesday.

He stressed that election reporting now goes beyond polling units and into cyberspace, where journalists face surveillance, hacking, online harassment, misinformation, and digital repression.

Arogundade noted that democracy has increasingly migrated into digital spaces. This shift makes journalists vulnerable to multidimensional threats that are not limited to physical attacks and intimidation.

He highlighted rising exposure to cyber harassment, unlawful surveillance, account breaches, online trolling, and arrests linked to digital expression. These are often tied to controversial cyberstalking provisions in Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

According to Arogundade, although the Cybercrimes Act was designed to combat online fraud, state authorities and powerful individuals routinely weaponize it. It is used to silence investigative journalists and penalize critical reporting.

IPC’s Safety and Protection of Journalists Hub documented at least 20 attacks on journalists during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. This underscores the risks reporters face during electoral cycles.

The conversation forms part of efforts to prepare journalists for the Ekiti governorship poll. It aims to boost understanding of digital security tools, fact-checking mechanisms, secure communication systems, and ethical election reporting practices.

Arogundade said IPC and CEMESO are engaging key stakeholders, including the police and the National Human Rights Commission. The goal is to promote an enabling environment for journalist safety and press freedom during elections.

He emphasized that journalist safety must be understood in both physical and digital terms. Phone hacking, data compromise, online identity targeting, and digital censorship all endanger reporters.

Executive Director Akin Akingbulu described Nigeria’s media environment as increasingly difficult and dangerous. He flagged AI-driven misinformation, cyber surveillance, and online attacks, with synthetic audio, deepfakes, and coordinated harassment being major concerns, especially for female journalists.

Akingbulu said the conversation centered on four themes: digital rights and freedom of expression, cybersecurity and online safety, management of digital risks and journalist safety, and responsible election reporting.

Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State Council, commended the organisers. He pledged that journalists in the state would use their platforms to support activities aimed at ensuring a credible poll.