CITAD Charges President-elect on Digital Space Projection
By Ozumi Abdul
AREWA AGENDA – The Centre For Information Technology And Development (CITAD) has called on the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to project the country’s digital space if he assumes office on the 29th May, 2023.
The call was made on Thursday in Kano state during a press conference organized by the centre.
While reading the text of the press conference, the centre’s Digital Right officer, Zainab Salihu Usman noted that digital rights have become an increasingly become an important issue in Nigeria that deserves some level of seriousness, since larger percentage of younger people are relying on the internet as a source of their information, conduct their daily lives as well as communicate.
She however regretted that digital space in Nigeria is facing serious challenges which is affecting the digital rights of Nigerians.
“However, the digital space in Nigeria is currently facing a number of challenges, which are having a negative impact on the digital rights of Nigerian citizens.
“These challenges include:
Content Takedown and Censorship: There have been many reported cases of government censorship and taking down content of citizens on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram without any justification or order from a competent court
Internet shutdowns:
“There have been instances where the government has ordered the shutdown of the internet and social media. For example, in 2020, the Nigerian government ordered the complete shutdown of Twitter for six months. It also disconnected parts of a number of states such as Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina State in the guises of fighting bandits”.
Zainab added that while banditry activities were on its upward trajectories then, victims were excommunicated even when they were under the consistent sieges of the bandits.
“While banditry continued throughout the period, ordinary citizens found it difficult to communicate even when they came under attacks by the bandits.
“This shutdown has jeopardized the lives of many citizens, crumbled businesses and denied citizens their freedom of expression and association on this platform.
“Privacy Violations and Surveillance: There are concerns about government surveillance of citizens’ online activities and the collection of personal data by private companies for no reason or justification. This concern has been raised in many platforms by human rights activists and digital rights advocates, especially with the recent purchase of surveillance gadgets by the Nigerian government”.
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She also rued that there has been constant online harassment and cybercrime against many Nigerians, and that the perpetrators of these crimes are usually unpunished.
Zainab specifically single out women and children as key victims of this violation of Digital rights, adding that it has made it difficult to bridge the gender digital divide,
as more women tend to fear the digital space, as she set agenda for the incoming government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“All of these are having a detrimental effect on the digital rights of Nigerians, including the right to freedom of expression, the right to privacy, the right to association online, and the right to access information.
“As an organization working on the area of human rights protection and digital rights, we deem it necessary to the draw the attention of the Nigerian government, most especially the incoming administration to as a matter of urgency and public interest to do the followings:
“Set-Up a Comprehensive Data Protection: Nigeria needs a comprehensive data protection legislation that will regulate the collection, use, and sharing of personal data by public and private entities. We are calling the president-elect to prioritize passing of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill which will protect citizens’ privacy and prevent abuse of personal data.
Internet Freedom:
“The president-elect should ensure that Nigerians have the right to access and share information freely online without censorship, intimidation, or harassment. Also, his government need to work towards creating an enabling environment for online expression and digital journalism, protecting whistleblowers, and strengthening mechanisms for transparency and accountability.
Cybersecurity:
“The increasing use of digital technologies in Nigeria has poses more risk for people who become victims of cyber threats and attacks. There is need for the incoming administration to work towards strengthening cybersecurity measures to ensure the safety and security of citizens’ online activities and prevent cybercrime.
Digital Literacy:
“Another aspect the incoming administration should focus on is digital literacy as there is a significant digital divide in Nigeria, with many people lacking basic digital literacy skills. There is need for the government to prioritize investment in digital education initiatives to provide citizens with the necessary skills to participate in the digital economy and benefit from the opportunities presented by emerging technologies”.
The centre also call on the 10th National Assembly to show the same zeal as the 9th Assembly in order to ensure the speedy passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill as it would enable the country to have a comprehensive data protection system.
