What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to explore the achievements, prospects, and challenges faced by Nigeria's media regulatory bodies in the digital age.

June 18, 2026

Regulating the media’s digital space: Achievements, prospects and challenges of Nigeria’s media regulatory bodies

Key Points

This study aims to explore the achievements, prospects, and challenges faced by Nigeria's media regulatory bodies in the digital age.
Qualitative method adopted for data collection
Interviews conducted with six key informants selected for their relevance to the study
Analysis framed within Social Responsibility and Gatekeeping Theories.
Monitoring journalists and ensuring high journalistic standards has largely not been achieved by the regulatory bodies.
Increased computer literacy and technological advances complicate the regulatory task.
Collaboration among stakeholders is essential for improving media professionalism and sustainability.

Abstract

Abstract Digitalisation and networking have brought in diverse opportunities in all aspects of human endeavour. As it should be expected, mass media, as one of the vital agents of development, has benefited greatly. However, the absence or near absence of gatekeeping in the digital media is a serious source of worry. In Nigeria, two of the regulatory bodies that are responsible for regulating the media space are Nigerian Press Council (NPC) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). But the increase in computer literacy, technological advances, increase in internet subscription as well as wide and varied operations on the digital space, have made the bodies’ task much more complex. Additionally, the proliferation of online news media, news blogs and a variety of platforms for user-generated contents has also increased the challenge of regulation. Thus, this study examines the activities, prospects and challenges facing NPC and NBC in this present ever demanding, growing digital world. The study is anchored on Social Responsibility Theory and Gate keeping Theory. It adopted qualitative method. Six key informants were purposefully selected for interviews for their relevance to the study. The study concludes that monitoring journalists and ensuring high journalistic standards in Nigeria’s digital space by the regulatory bodies, has not been achieved, to a large extent. It recommends more collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to sanitise the media space and engender sustainable development through professionalism. Key Words: Digitalisation, Social Responsibility Theory, Gate keeping, Regulatory bodies, Nigerian Media About the Authors *Mutiu Adekunle Ganiyu, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. His areas of specializations are Journalism, Public Relations and Development Communication. **Helen Ambassador-Brikins, Ph.D., is an academic staff in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. Her interests lie mainly in Development Communication. ***Fatahi Owolabi Hamzat is a lecturer in Mass Communication Department, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. Currently, he is working on his PhD. JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, April 2025, pp. 119-131 © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON). Article Citation Ganiyu, M. A., Ambassador-Brikins, H. & Hamzat, F. O. (2025). Regulating the media’s digital space: Achievements, prospects and challenges of Nigeria’s media regulatory bodies. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 17 (1): 119-131. Full Article Words: 8,070 Pages: 13 To access full article, click on downloa

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