S4C, Avocats Sans Frontières France, CITAD partner on digital right, policy

Stanley Ihedigbo

One of the leading civil society groups in Nigeria, Spaces for Change (S4C), in partnership with Avocats Sans Frontières France and the Center for Information, Technology, and Development (CITAD), on digital rights and policy.

According to the Executive Director, S4C, Ms. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, the event, under the EU-funded e-Rights project, brought together over twenty-five digital rights experts from telecommunications companies, regulatory bodies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the press, the legal profession, and the academic community.

“The session rigorously analyzed Nigeria’s existing legal framework on digital rights, aiming to develop a comprehensive policy guide for legislative considerations.

“As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, the need for effective regulatory mechanisms has become paramount. These mechanisms are essential for mitigating harmful activities that threaten user well-being in the digital realm. Just as physical spaces are regulated, the digital environment demands stringent measures to ensure responsible internet usage in Nigeria. However, concerns are growing about the adverse impact of these regulations on citizens’ digital rights”, she explained.

The Executive Director of S4C added that significant apprehensions have been voiced regarding the repressive aspects of Nigeria’s digital rights frameworks.

“Critics highlight that existing laws and policies are inadequate in addressing emerging digital technologies and trends, rendering them more regressive than progressive. In response, this phase of the e-Rights project seeks to harness insights from digital rights experts who are pivotal stakeholders in the digital domain.

“By scrutinizing the current deficiencies within Nigeria’s digital legal frameworks, the expert opinions gathered will coalesce into a comprehensive policy guide. This guide will lay the groundwork for a new legal framework on digital rights, designed to encompass emerging technologies and robustly protect citizens’ digital rights, aligned with national, regional, and international standards,” she emphasized