Rebuilding Electoral Trust: IPC, NAWOJ, Media Partners Join Forces to Restore Public Confidence

By Iyojo Ameh

The International Press Centre (IPC) has called for renewed efforts to rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s political process and strengthen democratic governance through responsible media engagement.

Speaking in Abuja at the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) Component 4: Support to Media, the Director-General of IPC, Mr.

Lanre Arogundade, said the newly launched report on rebuilding trust synthesizes outcomes from the Centre’s multi-stakeholder dialogues held across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones between 2023 and 2025.

Arogundade emphasized the need to mainstream women into the political process to fully harness their potential for national development.

In his goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the meeting as a vital intervention in countering narratives that undermine electoral confidence. He underscored the media’s pivotal role in shaping public perception, guiding civic discourse, and safeguarding democratic trust.

The Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Aisha Ibrahim, pointed out the importance of gender-sensitive political reporting. She noted that women journalists bring unique perspectives of fairness and human interest to political coverage but continue to face gender bias, disinformation, and underrepresentation in leadership.

Earlier, IPC’s Programme Manager, Ms. Stella Nwofia, said the strategic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IPC, NAWOJ, and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) was designed to create an enabling environment for inclusive, accountable, and professional election reporting. The MoU also aims to establish performance benchmarks to improve media standards, particularly in gender-related electoral coverage and campaign monitoring.

The event featured contributions from eminent speakers, including Professor Okey Ibeanu, who stressed that “trust is the currency of the democratic process,” and Mr. Achike Chude, National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Other attendees included Danlami Nmodu, President of GOCOP, and Moji Makanjuola of the International Society for Media.

Participants raised concerns about the absence of representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), disparities in remuneration across public institutions, and the welfare of media practitioners.

The forum concluded with a unified call for collaboration among journalists, civil society, and government institutions to promote electoral trust, accountability, and gender inclusivity in Nigeria’s democratic process.