Nigeria's Whistleblowers Still at Risk Despite Decade-Old Policy Pledges
A national forum on whistleblower protection for Federal High Court judges took place in Abuja on September 18, 2025. Organised by the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), the event highlighted Nigeria's ongoing struggle to safeguard those who expose corruption. Despite a 2016 policy promising rewards for whistleblowers, legal protections remain weak, leaving many vulnerable to retaliation. Nigeria introduced its whistleblower policy on December 21, 2016, offering informants between 2.5 and 5 percent of recovered looted funds. Yet, nearly a decade later, no Whistleblower Protection Act has been implemented. Multiple bills in the National Assembly have stalled, leaving whistleblowers exposed to surveillance, job loss, and even death threats.
At the forum, Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL's coordinator, stressed the judiciary's key role in upholding justice for whistleblowers. Harry Ogwuche of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) called whistleblower protection a fundamental human rights issue. Yisa Usman, a persecuted whistleblower, described being pressured, intimidated, and fired after exposing corruption in his workplace. Nigeria's Constitution and laws like the Freedom of Information Act offer some protections, but enforcement is inconsistent. In contrast, Ghana passed its Whistleblower Act in 2006, with enforcement cases by 2020. South Africa's 2017 Protected Disclosures Amendment Act strengthened judicial oversight, with court rulings reinforcing protections by 2023. Vladimir Radomirovic, a Serbian journalist, shared how alliances with judges improved whistleblower safeguards in Serbia.
The forum underscored Nigeria's lag in whistleblower protections compared to Ghana and South Africa. Without a dedicated law, whistleblowers continue to face serious risks. The event called for stronger judicial action to turn existing policies into enforceable rights.
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