This study by the Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) research consortium analyses media coverage of corruption and anti-corruption efforts in a 19-month period before, during and after Nigeria’s 2019 election. It builds on research conducted around the preceding vote in 2015 (Komolafe et al., 2019).
Over 3,500 relevant stories were captured from across six newspapers that were assessed to determine the types of corruption discussed, the cases or issues which most often hit the headlines and the format of reportage. Analysis of this data offers insights into how the media reports corruption around elections in Nigeria and what, if any, wider impact this has.
The 2019 data shows a doubling of corruption coverage in Nigeria since 2015 – most certainly linked to the Buhari administration’s renewed commitment to addressing the issue. However, the data also points to a continued challenge around the content of coverage, which does little to analyse issues or place allegations and initiatives in the wider development context.
Individual cases – rather than articles looking to explore anti-corruption initiatives and reforms – continued to be the most reported stories, with those focusing on fraud and misappropriation being the most prevalent. We also observed that newspapers remain susceptible to political pressure when pursuing particular stories.
These issues partially explain why media reporting on corruption in Nigeria continues to have relatively little impact in shaping the anti-corruption agenda. Instead, newspapers remain focused on pursuing individuals for ill-gotten wealth, rather than on the reformation of institutions to make them more transparent and accountable.
The media can do more to push the anti-corruption agenda. Greater collaboration is needed between the media and civil society to improve citizen understanding of corruption and anti-corruption efforts, newspapers should devote more column space to analytically discuss corruption issues, and improvements should be made within the working practices of media outlets to support impactful corruption reporting around elections in Nigeria.
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