Democratising the media in the new democracies of Ghana and Nigeria: Challenges and prospects

Abstract

The institutionalisation of democracy in Ghana (1992) and Nigeria (1999) after years of military regimes facilitated the need to reform old media structures that supported authoritarian regimes into institutions that would facilitate the democratic process. The media reform initiatives embarked upon by both countries liberalised the media environment to create a free and independent media that would support the transition process by offering a platform for public debate, aimed at enhancing political participation. Using policy analysis and elite interviews, this article examines the reforms in both countries, and the extent to which Western countries/ donors impacted on their policy formulation and implementation processes. The author argues that these countries’ historical, political and socio-cultural antecedents have affected the praxes of their media reforms, and as a result their objectives have not been fully realised.

Keywords:

• democracy
• Ghana
• media
• media policy
• Nigeria
• reform

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ufuoma Akpojivi

Ufuoma Akpojivi is a lecturer in Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His research interests include new media and political participation, citizenship, media policy, media practices in emerging democracies, amongst others. He is currently researching citizens’ empowerment and disempowerment in relation to new media. Email: [email protected]