AFRICMIL to Host Forum for Judges on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection
Date Published: 15 September 2025
Press release from AFRICMIL originally released on September 11, 2025.
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) will on Thursday, September 18, 2025, convene Nigeria’s first National Interactive Forum for Judges on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection in the nation’s capital, Abuja. Convened in partnership with Tap iNitiative, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) and Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), the theme of the forum is: The Judiciary and Whistleblower Protection in Nigeria: Challenges and Responsibilities.
It is billed as a landmark endeavour aimed at deepening judicial understanding of the critical role of the courts in protecting whistleblowers and interpreting emerging norms in the legal environment of whistleblowing. It forms part of AFRICMIL’s sustained advocacy for a dedicated whistleblower protection law in Nigeria. The workshop will feature select judges of the Federal High Courts across the six zones of the country. Also expected are heads of anti-corruption agencies, police, members of civil society organisations and the media. The keynote speech will be delivered by Anthony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission. A five-member panel will reflect on the address and share perspectives on the forum's theme.
In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Dr Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL said: “The judiciary is the cornerstone of any effective whistleblower protection system. As we continue to advocate a robust legal framework, it is imperative that our judges are equipped with the knowledge and perspective to handle whistleblower cases with wisdom and fairness. This forum will create a space for dialogue between the judiciary and civil society on this matter of urgent public importance.”
The forum will focus on issues such as balancing transparency with national security, ensuring the anonymity of whistleblowers, and adjudicating cases of retaliation. It will also provide a platform for sharing best practices and developing a harmonised approach to whistleblower litigation. AFRICMIL noted that nine years after Nigeria introduced a whistleblower policy through the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), the absence of a law has weakened public confidence. While the policy led to significant recoveries of stolen funds in its early years, the lack of legal protection has discouraged citizens from reporting wrongdoing.
“A well-informed judiciary is essential for the success of any whistleblower legislation. The enactment of a law is only the first step. Its effectiveness will ultimately be determined by the courts. We are therefore proactively engaging the guardians of our constitution to build consensus on the importance of protecting citizens who expose corruption,” the statement added. AFRICMIL called on the government to treat this initiative as a complementary effort in the fight against corruption and to accelerate the process of transmitting a draft whistleblower protection bill to the National Assembly.
The event is supported by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), MacArthur Foundation, Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN).
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