Nigerian judges pledge to uphold global digital rights standard

Tony Okoh, Uyo

Judges of the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court in Nigeria have committed to upholding global digital rights standards by endorsing the Ikot Ekpene Declaration.

The declaration aimed to strengthen the protection of digital rights and ensure that the justice system aligns with current global standards in the digital age.

Joined by officials from the National Human Rights Commission and the National Judicial Institute, the Judiciary leaders in the Declaration outline key principles to guide the justice process in line with current standards in the digital age.

The declaration was made following a workshop on “Upholding Justice in the Digital Age: Strengthening Judicial Capacity on Digital Rights and Cyber Governance” organised by Paradigm Initiative with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Stemming the tide of Abuse in Nigeria’s Digital Space (STANDS) Project, which was held in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria, from May 12th to 15th, 2025.

The workshop highlighted the slow pace of legislation specific to all forms of digital rights and the need to enforce justice in alignment with the law through courtrooms.

It aligned with the judiciary’s role in ensuring that fundamental rights, such as privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information, are protected in the digital era, not only keeping pace with global best practices but also contributing to shaping a legal environment where digital rights are upheld alongside justice.

Speaking at the workshop’s opening, the administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi, highlighted the need for judges and judicial officers to thoughtfully examine how they can administer justice in a way that honours constitutional tenets and effectively addresses the challenges and opportunities of a growing digital society.

Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, ‘Gbenga Sesan while empasising the importance of the Judiciary being the last hope of the common man, mentioned that “the marriage between digital opportunities and digital economies, is strengthened by Judicial oversight and the realities of our time to ensure that when humans are robotised and robots are humanized we are all safe.”

“We are in the era of digital manipulation, but we trust the judges to have an understanding of the issues of the time and to make the right decisions,” he stated further.

Senior Officer for Anglophone West Africa, Khadijah El-Usman, also emphasized how important conversations and outcomes such as the Declaration are to the evolution of processes meant to guarantee justice and digital rights protection.

“We are especially thankful to our partners, the Netherlands Embassy, for their support in making conversations like this happen.”

Key recommendations from the Declaration to Judicial Officers include:
Ensuring clarity, consistency and soundness in judicial reasoning
Upholding the principles of the Rule of Law, necessity and proportionality concerning restrictions to human rights, including digital rights

The continuation of ongoing efforts to ensure access to justice for all, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups whose digital rights may be disproportionately at risk
Strengthening ongoing efforts to digitalise the Judiciary through the prioritisation of the provision of adequate resources.