The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has called for a strategic partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to strengthen civic education, combat misinformation, and promote accountability in governance, as both institutions identified investigative journalism as critical to Nigeria’s democratic development.
The call was made on recently when a delegation of NGIJ, led by its National President, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan, paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, and the management team of the agency in Abuja.
In his address, Aliagan said the mandates of NGIJ and NOA were naturally complementary, noting that while NOA is charged with civic education, value re-orientation and public enlightenment, investigative journalism provides verified facts and evidence that enable citizens to make informed decisions and hold public institutions accountable.
He described investigative journalism as pro-accountability and pro-transparency, stressing that it is not antagonistic to government but rather designed to strengthen institutions and rebuild public trust.
According to him, when facts are responsibly presented and aligned with civic values, citizens become better informed, more responsible and more engaged in democratic processes.
Aliagan identified misinformation, declining public trust in institutions, social tension and civic apathy as major threats to Nigeria’s democracy, urging closer collaboration between journalists and NOA to address the challenges through joint public enlightenment campaigns, capacity-building on fact-checking and counter-disinformation, as well as platforms for constructive engagement with the public.
He further called for an enabling environment for ethical journalism, access to information and institutional support for investigative reporting, noting that investigative findings should be seen as tools for civic education rather than adversarial attacks on government.
He expressed hope that the courtesy visit would mark the beginning of a structured and enduring partnership between NGIJ and NOA in the collective task of nation-building.
Responding, Issa-Onilu lamented what he described as the steady decline of investigative journalism in Nigeria, arguing that the erosion of depth, accuracy and attention to facts in media practice has weakened the profession and contributed to misinformation and social division.
According to him, journalism has increasingly become superficial, with little emphasis on interpretation, context and fact-based reporting, thereby making it difficult to distinguish between professional journalism and unverified content circulating on social media.
He stressed that facts are fundamental tools for civic orientation and national unity, warning that when facts are no longer treated as sacred, society becomes vulnerable to ignorance, manipulation and conflict.
The NOA boss said investigative journalism plays a vital role in national development by promoting fairness, balance and objectivity, and by compelling government to do the right thing through informed public scrutiny.
He noted that poor investigative reporting had contributed to knowledge gaps among citizens, particularly on governance and electoral processes, adding that such gaps often fuel misinformation and unhealthy public discourse.
Issa-Onilu also highlighted challenges faced by NOA in fulfilling its mandate, including limited resources for voter education and civic enlightenment, and pointed to widespread public misunderstanding of electoral processes as evidence of the consequences of weak civic education and poor quality reporting.
He pledged the agency’s support for NGIJ, offering to facilitate collaboration through NOA’s network of Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMOs) across local governments nationwide, who, he said, provide grassroots feedback to government and could serve as valuable community-level sources of information for investigative journalists.
The DG further proposed the establishment of a joint committee between NOA and NGIJ to explore concrete areas of collaboration, including public enlightenment campaigns, counter-disinformation initiatives and mechanisms for strengthening investigative journalism in the public interest.
Members of the NGIJ delegation at the meeting included Comrade James Ezema, Vice President (Investigation); Mallam Abdullahi Gulloma, National Public Relations Officer; Abdulrahman Obaje, FCT Chapter Chairman; Mr. Leonard Oru; Mr. Kunle Awoniyi; and Falmata Zarna.
Both organisations expressed optimism that sustained engagement and structured collaboration would contribute to rebuilding public trust, strengthening democratic culture and promoting national cohesion through responsible journalism and effective civic orientation.
