Rakiya A.Muhammad
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has called on the legislature to pass the digital rights and freedom bill to guarantee the rights of Nigerian citizens in the digital age and to promote trust.
The digital rights advocacy organisation also urged the executive to engage in a broader consultation to achieve an inclusive, democratic and rights-respecting approach to content and platform regulations.
“Freedom of expression is a universal human right, a right fundamental to a democratic society, which is why it is enshrined in section 39 of the Constitution and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),” it pointed out.
“We acknowledge that it is not an unfettered right, and there are legal safeguards to protect those who may be vulnerable and prevent the abuse of these rights. However, around the world, there are governments and those wielding power who find many ways to obstruct it.”
In a statement on the State of Freedom of Expression in Nigeria and the NITDA Code of Practice, PIN said the ECOWAS Court reinforced the importance of this right with their recent judgement on the Twitter ban.
It recalled the court held that access to Twitter, being one of the social media platforms of choice to receive, disseminate and impart information, is one such derivative right that is complementary to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression pursuant to the provisions of Article 9 (1) & (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
“To derogate from such a right requires lawful justification. Although the court made its position clear, the civic space, especially online, had been shrinking for some time,” it lamented.
“We saw the passing of the Cybercrimes Act, the rejection of the digital rights and freedoms bill, the initiation of the hate speech and social media bills and now the draft Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries and Conditions for Operating in Nigeria.”
PIN urged civil society and citizens to continue to hold the government accountable and work together with the government for better outputs.
It stressed the need for the media to remain dogged in reporting violations and amplifying the voices of citizens who daily use digital platforms to hold the government accountable.
Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a leading social enterprise in ICT for Development and Digital Rights, has worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust and organisational culture.
