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VOL. 8, ISSUE 4 (2026)
From Iwe Irohin (1859) to new media: A legal-historical analysis of the press and the limits of press freedom in Nigeria (1859-2026)
Authors
Kenneth Owhighose Odhe
Abstract
From the founding of Iwe Irohin in 1859 to the advent of digital new
media in 2026, this article explores the development of the Nigerian press.
From Townsend to Azikiwe, it contends that although the press existed before
the Nigerian state and promoted nationalism and decolonisation, the
constitutional guarantee of press freedom has remained structurally limited.
The article examines the freedom of expression clauses in the 1960, 1963, 1979,
and 1999 Constitutions while tracing the development of the press from
missionary to nationalist press, deregulation in 1992, and new media. It
concludes that the 1999 Constitution's Sections 39(3), 45(1), and 6(6)(c),
along with Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 as revised in 2024, form
clogs that make Sections 39(1) and 22 aspirational. Despite SERAP v Nigeria and
NDPA 2023 exemptions, an analysis of recent prosecutions of Daniel Ojukwu
(FIJ), Agba Jalingo, and Segun Olatunji shows the persistence of colonial
seditious libel in digital form as cyberstalking.
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Pages:45-49
How to cite this article:
Kenneth Owhighose Odhe "From Iwe Irohin (1859) to new media: A legal-historical analysis of the press and the limits of press freedom in Nigeria (1859-2026)". International Journal of Law, Policy and Social Review, Vol 8, Issue 4, 2026, Pages 45-49
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