Politics
Pate, Atsenuwa lead WSCIJ’s national conversation on democracy
IMMEDIATE past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Kashere and professor of Communication at Bayero University, Kano, Umaru Pate, will deliver keynote address at the 18th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series scheduled for July 13 in Lagos State.
The event, themed “Beyond the Ballot: Measuring Democracy Through Security, Welfare, Accountability and Public Trust,” will also feature the public presentation of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) 2025 Journalism & Civic Space Status Report, which will be reviewed by Ayodele Atsenuwa, a professor at the University of Lagos.
In a statement on Monday, the organisers said the lecture would interrogate whether Nigeria’s democracy is delivering meaningful outcomes for citizens beyond elections, with particular focus on governance performance in key sectors namely security, welfare, accountability and public trust.
They stated that the conversation would focus on shifting attention from electoral contests alone to broader questions of how democratic systems translate into real-life impact for citizens.
“The lecture seeks to examine whether democracy is delivering security, welfare, accountability, and public trust,” the organisers said.
The programme will also feature the Democracy Delivery Conversation, a high-level dialogue bringing together journalists, academics, policymakers and civic actors to examine the role of the media in democratic governance.
The discussion will focus on how journalism can strengthen accountability systems and deepen democratic engagement through sustained scrutiny of public institutions.
Participants will explore the role of the media in improving governance outcomes and reinforcing public trust in democratic processes.
The event includes the presentation of the WSCIJ 2025 Journalism & Civic Space Status Report, which documents trends in media freedom and civic participation in Nigeria.
The report continues WSCIJ’s longitudinal tracking of journalism and civic space, building on earlier editions such as “Hushed Voices and the Media’s Defence of Civic Space (2012–2022), Hushed Voices in an Election Year (2023), and Shrinking Freedoms (2024)”.
The organisation said the report provides an evidence-based assessment of developments affecting democratic participation and media freedom in the country.
According to WSCIJ, it examines developments affecting media freedom, civic participation and public accountability, while identifying both opportunities and challenges for democratic governance.
Held annually on July 13 to mark the birthday of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Grand Patron of WSCIJ, the lecture series has, for nearly two decades, convened stakeholders in journalism, governance and civic advocacy to reflect on democratic accountability.
This year’s edition will bring together journalists, academics, policymakers, civil society actors, development partners, students and citizens to reflect on how democratic performance should be measured beyond elections.
