The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has released a Whitepaper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria.
This landmark document seeks to address the growing challenge of online harms while fostering a secure digital ecosystem in the country.
According to NITDA, the Whitepaper emerges from the outcomes of Nigeria’s first-ever Content Moderation and Online Safety Summit held in July 2022, hosted by API, an African non-profit dedicated to advancing digital innovation and inclusive policymaking.
It serves as a foundational step toward creating a comprehensive legal framework to protect Nigerians in the digital space.
Prevalence of online harms
The document highlights the prevalence of online harms, including threats to children and vulnerable groups, and analyzes global regulatory efforts while proposing strategies suited to Nigeria’s unique context.
- It aggregates insights from research, civil society organizations, and stakeholders to propose actionable regulatory pathways.
- NITDA noted that despite past efforts such as the enactment of the Cybercrime Act 2015 and the Internet Code of Practice, there is an urgent need for a more robust online harm protection law due to the persistent and evolving nature of online threats.
“Despite existing regulations, the complexities of the digital environment require a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to online safety for Nigerians,” it stated.
Objectives of the Whitepaper
According to NITDA, the Whitepaper aims to:
- Spark National Dialogue: Initiate meaningful discussions on combating online harms and balancing regulatory action with fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem.
- Guide Policy Development: Offer ideas and recommendations to inform the creation of a legal framework for online safety.
- Encourage Stakeholder Participation: Serve as a collaborative foundation for engaging government agencies, civil society, businesses, and the wider public.
“This white paper underscores the importance of regulatory measures broadly, and for children and minorities especially, and calls for a collaborative and data-driven approach to crafting a framework to ensure a safer digital environment for all,” the Agency stated.
NITDA emphasized that the document is not a definitive regulatory guide but a research-driven tool to guide discussions and refine policy directions.
Call for stakeholder engagement
The agency invites stakeholders, including businesses, civil society groups, local and international internet platforms, and the public, to review the Whitepaper and provide feedback.
It added that a dedicated secretariat will collate responses, which will be presented to stakeholder groups for further discussion before drafting the final bill.
The Agency reiterated its commitment to improving Nigeria’s digital economy and creating a safe online environment for all users.
What you should know
To address the challenge of online harms, Nigeria had in the past come up with several laws and rules such as the Internet Code of Practice by the Nigerian Communications Commission 2017; Nigeria Broadcasting Code 2020, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/ Internet Intermediaries, 2022.
Legislative and regulatory proposals such as the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill 2019, the “Social Media Bill,” and the NBC Amendment Bill 2023 also aim to shield citizens from these online dangers.
However, all of these regulatory efforts have encountered criticism mostly around perceived inadequacies, the constriction of the civic space, and constraints on human rights.
