Centre Calls for Reimagining of Democracy in Africa,

 

By Diana Omueza

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has called for reimagining of democracy in Africa, emphasising the need for digitally-strengthened and empowered journalists and the media for sustenance.

The Chief Executive Officer of CJID, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the Third Annual Media Development Conference (MDC-03) with the theme — “Reimagining Democracy, Development and Data for the Next Decade.”

Olorunyomi said “Africa is undergoing profound transformations that require reflection on democratic setbacks, incomplete development pathways and the risks and opportunities emerging in a data-driven era.

“Today, Africa stands at a crossroads. Our choices in the next decade will determine not only the fate of our democracies, but the wellbeing of our economies, the integrity of our information ecosystems, and the protection of citizens’ digital rights.”

He highlighted growing civic anxieties across the continent, citing shrinking spaces, declining trust in public institutions, contested legitimacy, coups, and constitutional manipulations that undermine public faith in governance.

The CJID boss said “many communities feel unheard, young people feel excluded and the promise of democratic renewal fragile.”

He expressed concern over the state of media in Africa, describing it as under unprecedented strain from collapsing advertising revenues, dwindling donor support, and new forms of censorship both state-enableddigitally-amplified that threaten press freedom.

Olorunyomi, however, said that in spite of the challenges, Africa could still achieve democratic turnaround “if democracy is reimagined.

“Reimagining democracy means building institutions that listen, designing governance that learns and cultivating political cultures grounded in transparency, accountability, and citizen empowerment.

“It means restoring public trust, expanding civic space, and strengthening regional bodies as guardians of constitutional order.”

He, therefore, called for innovative media business models, public-interest support to protect editorial independence, AI-powered fact-checking, civic literacy programmes, locally governed digital ecosystems and new generation of journalists trained in data accountability and digital safety.

He condemned data colonialism, warning against the extraction of human experience, behavioral data, and personal information by global technology firms for profit and political influence.

He reiterated CJID’s commitment to media empowerment, highlighting the centre’s Campus Reporter programme, active in 34 Nigerian universities and soon expanding to 13 other African countries, aimed at cultivating new cadre of civic-minded journalists and innovators.

Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio, said digital platforms remained responsible for amplifying hopes and roles of journalists, fact-checkers, and civic actors are essential to protect democracy and create positive outcomes for all communities.

Salvaggio said that the government of Canada, through local communities’ initiatives, was supporting CJID in its ongoing project to counter dis-information and build digital resilience in conflict-prone regions in Nigeria.

The Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Felix Costales-Artiede, said the power of the media cannot be overemphasised, highlighting the efforts of the Spanish Government in training Nigerian journalists on countering dis-information and also learning the Nigerian dynamics.

Costales-Artiede urged Nigerian journalists and organisers of media workshops and training to reflect and understudy the long-term effects of too much information and explore ways on how to limit ill mentality prevailing on social media.

According to him, these factors have the potential to weaken and compromise democracy.

He commended CJID for the efforts and called for continued partnership with Nigeria to change the narrative of democracy in the country and in Africa.