Niger Establishes National Observatory Of Communication, Appoints Ibrahim Manzo Diallo As President

Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tchiani has signed a decree establishing the National Observatory of Communication (ONC), a new body tasked with regulating the country’s media sector and safeguarding press freedom.

The announcement was made on Monday by the General Secretariat of the Government. The ONC, created under Article 71 of the Charter of the Refoundation, is mandated to guarantee freedom of information and communication across the written, electronic, audiovisual, and advertising press.

According to the decree, the institution must also ensure the protection of journalists, equitable access for all citizens to public media, and compliance with ethics outlined in the Charter of Professional Journalists of Niger.

In addition, the ONC is charged with monitoring programming on both public and private broadcasters to prevent the dissemination of content that incites hatred or violence. Each year, it will submit a public report to the president and the prime minister, published in the Official Journal.

Tchiani appointed Ibrahim Diallo, a journalist, as the first president of the ONC. Diallo, founder of the Aïr Info and Sahara FM press group in Agadez, is an expert in information and communication sciences. He was awarded the 2023 Grand Prix for Investigative Journalism in West Africa and the 2024 National Grand Prix for Human Rights.

The creation of the ONC follows the dissolution of the Higher Council for Communication (CSC), which previously served as Niger’s media regulatory authority until July 2023, when it was disbanded in the wake of the military takeover.

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