The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has announced that the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Professor Umaru Pate, will chair and deliver the keynote address at the 18th edition of its annual Media Lecture Series.
SolaceBase reports that the lecture, themed “Beyond the Ballot: Measuring Democracy Through Security, Welfare, Accountability and Public Trust,” is scheduled to hold on Monday, July 13, 2026, at The Providence, 12A Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The annual event is organised in honour of WSCIJ’s Grand Patron and Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday and celebrating his enduring legacy of truth-telling, civic engagement, and democratic accountability.
Professor Pate, who is also a Professor of Media and Society at Bayero University, Kano, is expected to lead discussions on how democracy should be assessed beyond electoral outcomes and what role journalism plays in measuring governance performance and strengthening public trust.
According to WSCIJ, this year’s theme reflects growing concerns about evaluating democracy not only on elections but also on what democratic governance delivers in practice, particularly in security, welfare, accountability, and public confidence in institutions.
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The Centre said the lecture would explore democracy as an ongoing system of governance that must be measured through responsiveness, performance, and citizens’ experiences, while reinforcing journalism as a public-interest tool for scrutiny, transparency, and accountability.
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In addition to the keynote lecture and high-level discussions, participants will engage with findings from the WSCIJ 2025 Journalism and Civic Space Status Report.
The report will be reviewed by Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, Director of the Legal Research and Resource Development Centre and Professor of Public Law at the University of Lagos.
According to the organisers, the report presentation will be followed by a stakeholder dialogue focusing on democratic accountability, civic participation, public trust, and developments within Nigeria’s civic space.
WSCIJ noted that increasing surveillance, intimidation, and attacks on journalists continue to shape media practice globally and deserve greater attention in conversations around democracy and civic freedoms.
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This year’s lecture will examine how surveillance technologies, institutionalised harassment, and shrinking press freedoms undermine journalists’ safety and affect the public’s right to access information.
Held annually on July 13 to commemorate Professor Soyinka’s birthday, the Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series has, for nearly two decades, served as a platform for examining issues at the intersection of journalism, governance, accountability, democracy, and social development in Nigeria.
Since its inception in 2009, the series has convened journalists, academics, policymakers, civil society actors, development practitioners, and thought leaders to discuss issues shaping Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Over 17 editions, the lecture series has featured 18 keynote speakers and 68 discussants while reaching more than 4,000 participants across the media, civil society, government, academia, and the wider public.
