The Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition has unveiled the Abuja Declaration on whistleblowing legislation and whistleblower protection in Nigeria to mark this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day.
The unveiling took place during a press conference held at the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) in Abuja on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
The programs manager, AFRICMIL, Kola Ogunbiyi, explained the plan to push for a whistleblower protection law:
“Our convergence today is to use this year’s international anti-corruption day to reaffirm our resolve to fill this yawning gap exemplified in the absence in the absence of a whistleblower legislation that offers protection for citizens who blow the whistle”.
Read more: Full press statement by the Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition
The declaration states:
"We, the participants at the stakeholders' advocacy meeting in Abuja on whistleblowing legislation and whistleblower protection in Nigeria, declare our commitment to creating a core group that will drive a strong coalition to advocate an urgent passage of the whistleblower protection bill before the 9th National Assembly runs its course on June 11 2023. The passage of this very important legislation will put Nigeria in the same category, as far as whistleblowing is concerned, with countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Uganda."
Read more: Abuja Declaration
The Abuja declaration features two major highlights. The first is the recognition of whistleblowing as not just a mechanism for addressing fraud and illegalities, but also the right to freedom of expression which is a fundamental human right that needs to be protected. Second is the unanimous endorsement of a strong coalition of duty-bearers to intensify the campaign for an urgent realisation of protection legislation.
WIN is honored to support this declaration and celebrates this important step forward in creating robust whistleblower protection legislation in Nigeria.