By Adenike Lawal
Journalists and lawyers in Lagos have been trained to resist Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), an emerging tool used by state actors and powerful individuals to intimidate critics.
The two-day workshop, organised by Lawyers Without Borders France (ASF France), under the EU-funded e-RIGHTS project in partnership with CITAD, focused on practical strategies to detect, manage, and counter SLAPP actions.
ASF France Country Director Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu warned that SLAPP suits are an “advanced tool of censorship,” deliberately designed to exhaust dissenting voices and weaken democratic accountability.
Olayide Awosanya, representing the Lagos Council of the NUJ, said understanding SLAPP is crucial to safeguarding press freedom.
Legal experts emphasised the need for Nigeria to adopt anti-SLAPP legislation, urging courts to distinguish between legitimate defamation claims and lawsuits intended to harass.
The workshop also highlighted the psychological toll on young investigative reporters covering corruption, environmental abuse, and corporate misconduct, recommending that media houses establish support systems.
A key outcome was the creation of draft newsroom guidelines providing preventive safeguards, including rigorous fact-checking, digital evidence preservation, and enhanced source protection, aimed at strengthening journalists’ resilience against SLAPP-style litigation.
