During this year’s World Whistleblower Day, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) called for the enactment of a comprehensive whistleblower protection law that includes anti-retaliation provisions, confidentiality guarantees, and access to redress.

AFRICMIL Programme Manager, Godwin Onyeacholem, who made this call yesterday in Abuja, asked the Nigerian authorities to punish retaliation against whistleblowers, especially those perpetrated by managers or agency heads.

He urged the Nigerian government, lawmakers, civil society, and private sector actors to take the following steps to mandate all public institutions to adopt internal whistleblowing systems, train staff, and uphold transparency.

Onyeacholem further called on the authorities to invest in public education to destigmatise whistleblowing and shift public perception, stressing the need to encourage private sector participation in promoting ethical reporting environments.

He lamented the persistent institutional and legal failures that continue to endanger whistleblowers and discourage public interest disclosures in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed AFRICMIL’s commitment to building a culture where speaking truth to power is not punished but protected, and where integrity is not isolated but institutionalised.

“Let this be the year we act, with honesty, urgency, and purpose. The time to close the trust gap is now.

“AFRICMIL has renewed its call for the urgent passage of a comprehensive whistleblower protection law in Nigeria to safeguard courageous citizens who expose corruption and wrongdoing in the public interest.

“Whistleblowing is not just an anti-corruption strategy. It is a moral stance — an expression of faith in the public good,” said Dr Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL. “But courage alone is not enough. It must be met with legal protection, institutional support, and cultural acceptance.”