In Nigerian law, the tort of defamation occupies a significant and well-established position. It serves as a key legal mechanism for protecting reputation, personal dignity, and professional standing, while also balancing these interests against the constitutional right to freedom of expression, particularly in an era where publications both traditional and digital can reach wide audiences with ease and speed.
The law therefore imposes responsibility on individuals and media platforms alike, recognizing that every publisher, including social media users, may be held legally accountable for defamatory content.
This article highlights the evolution of defamation law in Nigeria from traditional media to digital and social media platforms, emphasizing how the rapid spread of defamatory content online has expanded legal liability and strengthened the law’s role in regulating public discourse, protecting reputation, and ensuring accountability of both media organizations and individuals.
Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas
- Kindly follow us on our Social Media Handles:
https://x.com/om_dlaw?s=21
https://www.instagram.com/om_dlaw/
https://www.youtube.com/@om_dlaw/
Related:
- Access to justice in Nigeria: the Role of Lawyers in Public Interest Litigation By: Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi SAN, FCIArb (U.K) (Notary Public).
- Understanding the 2023 Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) and Its Application in Practice for Young Lawyers By: Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi, SAN, FCI.Arb. (Notary Public)
- Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi, SAN, Examines Nigeria’s Leap to a Fully Automated Immigration System
- NDPA 2023: A New Compliance Era for Data Controllers and Processors in Nigeria — By Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi, SAN
