At the 17th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture held virtually on July 13, 2025, leading voices in journalism and human rights raised the alarm over growing surveillance, digital threats, and the systematic silencing of journalists across Africa. They called for urgent reforms to safeguard press freedom, strengthen privacy protections, and build public awareness of the consequences of suppressing independent media.
Themed, “Surveillance, Safety and the Silencing of Truth,” this year’s lecture marked the 91st birthday of Nobel Laureate and grand patron of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The event featured a keynote by Angela Quintal, Africa Regional Director at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and a panel including Quinn McKew, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19; Fisayo Soyombo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ); and Sonja Smith, investigative journalist and Associated Press correspondent. The session was moderated by Jimeh Saleh, former Editor of the BBC/MacArthur Foundation Partnership Series.
Opening the discussion, Dapo Olorunyomi, founder of both the WSCIJ and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), described surveillance as a deeply institutionalized threat. He warned that while the digital age has empowered journalists with unprecedented tools, it has also created a complex and dangerous landscape where state, corporate, and intelligence interests intersect.
“Surveillance today is no longer just about espionage—it’s about control,” Olorunyomi said. “It undermines democratic values and endangers the safety of those who hold power to account.”
In her keynote, Quintal painted a stark picture of the ongoing “invisible war” against journalists in Africa. She highlighted the use of spyware, metadata tracking, and transnational monitoring to instill fear and curb dissent. Drawing from her own experiences—including a detention incident in Tanzania—and citing cases from Nigeria, South Africa, Togo, and Botswana, she stressed how intrusion into private communications erodes journalistic integrity and endangers sources.
“Journalists are being watched, followed, and targeted,” she said. “This surveillance undermines not only our work but the very foundation of democracy.”
Quintal called for urgent legal reforms, stronger digital safety protocols, and continental recognition that privacy is fundamental to press freedom.
Fisayo Soyombo spoke passionately about how harassment and surveillance are discouraging young people from entering journalism. He shared a message from a student journalist who expressed disillusionment with the profession due to mounting threats. Soyombo criticized the Nigerian government’s heavy investment in surveillance technology, arguing that it prioritizes monitoring critics over ensuring citizens’ safety.
“When you silence journalists, you silence the people,” he said. “We need a united front—stronger protections, institutional support, and a louder voice against digital repression.”
ARTICLE 19’s Quinn McKew broadened the discussion, linking surveillance to authoritarian efforts to control narratives and stifle criticism. She noted that national security laws, cybercrime legislation, and “smart city” technologies are increasingly being weaponized to monitor both citizens and the press.
“Surveillance has become the modern tool of repression,” McKew said. “The combination of state monitoring, legal suppression, and unchecked corporate data collection creates a toxic ecosystem that erodes freedoms.”
She called for a global ban on spyware exports, stricter data protection laws, and reforms to close legal loopholes that give governments easy access to private information.
Namibian journalist Sonja Smith addressed the gendered nature of surveillance, particularly in Southern Africa. She spoke about the unique threats faced by women journalists, including sexual intimidation, smear campaigns, and emotional abuse. Smith also raised concerns over state surveillance measures like mandatory SIM card registration, which can enable government tracking.
“Outside of capital cities and mainstream media houses, journalists are even more vulnerable,” Smith said. “Donors and platforms must pay attention to these frontline risks.”
In her closing remarks, WSCIJ Executive Director/CEO Motunrayo Alaka described surveillance and the suppression of dissent as part of a larger, “sophisticated and intentional” attack on truth and accountability. She noted that in the past four years, WSCIJ has convened multiple forums to address
