Which way Nigeria?- Music under Threat

Published by Freedom of Musical Expression (Freemuse), this report addresses censorship of musicians in Nigeria. Using case studies, it addresses direct acts of censorship while also indicating that self-censorship (an indirect threat to freedom of expression) is pervasive in the Nigerian music industry. NTBB (Not To Be Broadcasted) payola and Islamic Sharia Laws impede the freedom of musical expression in Nigeria. Music censorship has been implemented by states, religions, educational systems, families, retailers and lobbying groups - as the report suggests, in most cases they violate international conventions of human rights.

The author sees this trend as linked to a series of contradictions. In his words, "New churches and religious currents have capitalized on political and economic disillusionment, and plunged into fundamentalist interpretations verging on irrationality that now threaten individual freedom. Meanwhile, the freedom ofenterprise is promoted by a degree of ultra liberalism and deregulation rarely seen elsewhere in Africa...while over 50% of the population can only dream of the freedom to eat."

The report is based on an investigation done in mid-2002 from Lagos to Kano. Interviews - many of which were furtive or interrupted by aggressive checkpoints - were conducted with different Nigerian artists and many high-profile figures of the music industry, civil society actors (journalists, human rights lawyers), as well as members of an organisation working to restrain artistic expression: The Kano Censorship Board.

Click here to access a page with French and English downloadable reports and abstracts. Click here for the full report in English (PDF format). Click here for the full report in French (PDF format).