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The Five-Point Digital Rights Agenda for Nigeria’s New Government
By Adeboye Adegoke, Senior Manager, Grants and Programs Strategy at Paradigm Initiative.
As a new government takes over the reins of power in Nigeria, it will be useful to set a digital rights agenda for the new administration. This agenda is an aggregation of ideas, recommendations and output of many engagements and consultations on digital rights in the past years. First, let me define digital rights to lay a basis for the article.
If I was going to define digital rights a few years ago, I’d define it as the contextual application of the rights guaranteed by International, regional and national human rights instruments, in the use of existing, emerging and future digital technologies, including the internet.
In today’s reality, this definition would rather be naive and would be a total misrepresentation of the reality of the majority of the world’s population where access to the internet, affordability of devices, digital gender-divide, cost of data etc are still key and pending issues affecting the realisation of fundamental rights. One of the key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic was the need for countries to prioritise digital inclusion so no one is left behind in the digital evolution and the attending gains of the digital economy.
In its judgment on the twitter ban in Nigeria, the ECOWAS court held that digital platforms are vehicles and enablers of constitutionally guaranteed rights. Affordable and reliable internet access is essential for individuals to exercise their digital rights effectively. Therefore, digital rights is defined for this purpose as the right and ability of citizens to access digital technologies towards the enjoyment of their fundamental rights and freedom.
With this definition, I have laid the basis for the following agenda;
1. Pursue Universal Access as a State Policy: The outgoing government claimed it achieved a 100% broadband access on the back of Elon Musk’s Star Link’s entry into the Nigerian market. This is at best, a mere political statement that anyone who’s interested in real change should take with a pinch of salt. This techpoint article fairly addressed the matter. In summary, access that’s available and affordable to a limited economic class can not be the basis to claim 100% access.
Also, according to the Broadband Commission, meaningful universal connectivity means that anyone, anywhere, regardless of geographic location, socio-economic status, race, gender, or any other differentiating demographic, has access to affordable services and devices to connect to reliable and safe internet. The previous administration made marginal progress in this regard but its claim of 100% broadband access was bogus.
To achieve the objective of universal access, the new administration must revisit the barriers that have been previously identified. These are affordability, web literacy and a lack of access to devices such as smartphones and computers; There must be a deliberate approach to address these issues. Also, emerging issues such as multiple digital taxation must be halted to avoid killing the goose that’s laying the golden egg and further alienating more people from digital access.
The lingering problem of the right of way which has been a barrier to broadband penetration in Nigeria must be addressed. As a starting point, the new administration must revisit the pending commitment made during the COVID-19 pandemic and work with regional governments (states and local governments) to ensure the barrier is totally removed.
In a nutshell, the state must be deliberate about its pursuit of universal access as a state policy, beyond clutching to a chance occurrence of a major player’s entry into the Nigerian market.The new government can bridge the digital divide by promoting universal access to affordable and reliable internet connectivity. This can involve investing in infrastructure development and implementing policies that promote digital literacy and skills training. Special attention should be given to marginalised and under-served communities to ensure equal access and opportunities.
2. Prioritise Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: The previous government threw the phrase ‘stakeholder engagement’ around a lot. Any keen observer of the ecosystem however knew that the engagements were barely respected and it did appear that they were employed to tick the boxes against what should have been a deliberate effort to benefit from the diversity of expertise that exist in and outside of government. For example, it conspicuously omitted civil society or other public interest representation in the board of the data protection institution proposed in its data protection bill.
Also, the feedback it received on the proposed amendment to the NITDA bill fell on deaf ears. It went as far as tampering with the report of the public hearing held by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity on the bill, to give a false impression that the bill enjoyed stakeholder buy-in. The incoming administration should engage in meaningful consultations with academia, technology companies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies related to digital rights.
Collaborative efforts can help identify and address emerging issues, as well as ensure that the government’s actions align with the needs and aspirations of Nigerian citizens. The approach to digital governance by the previous administration failed to appreciate the significance and importance of a human-centric approach to digital regulation. Digital technologies offer economic, social, and political opportunities. However, without robust approaches to national policies and regulations, technology can have negative impacts and can worsen the very issues they seek to improve.
As clearly articulated in a report on putting people at the Centre of Digital Policy by the Africa-Europe Cooperation and Digital Transformation, “The creation process for policies, regulations, and bills to protect against these risks lead to successful outcomes when all stakeholders – especially citizens and their representatives – are consulted in the policymaking process.” This approach helps policymakers to gain a better sense of long-term issues related to technology, not only those issues that are important to the government at the moment or to the more established stakeholders and their business interests. To put it succinctly, don’t just seek stakeholders input, be conscious about the process, ensure broad participation and allow their input to count.
3. Enact and Review Relevant Legislation: This government is privileged to inherit some bills and laws from previous administrations that it can quickly work on to positively alter the regulatory framework for digital rights protection in Nigeria.
• The Digital Rights and Freedom Bill which the Buhari administration initially rejected in 2019 went through a new cycle of stakeholder engagement between 2019 – 2023. This will be a low hanging fruit for the new government. It can immediately review this draft bill and forward to the National Assembly for the required legislative process towards assent by the President.
• Data Protection Bill. This bill suffered from a lack of inclusion from a civil society perspective and it’d be great to see the new government address this and other pending concerns before enacting the bill into law.
• Cybercrimes Act 2015. Unlike the previous two, this is already a law in Nigeria. It is not as though it was a digital rights-oriented law. From its name, the Cybercrimes Act clearly focuses on addressing cyber criminality. However, this law has a notorious provision in section 24 which has been the most potent tool and basis for the violation of digital rights, especially freedom of expression online since its enactment.
The section due to its vague provision has been used to target dissent, journalists and citizens for legitimate expressions that the powerful feel uncomfortable about. There is a pending ECOWAS court judgment ordering the Nigerian government to amend this provision. Thankfully, the Federal Ministry of Justice is currently leading a process to review the bill in order to amend the law. This government can take ownership of this process to ensure that section 24 of the bill is repealed.
• Regulation of surveillance to ensure responsible and right-respecting use of surveillance technologies is next. For the longest time, successful administration denied its investment in surveillance technologies, sometimes ignoring freedom of information requests on the subject. Nigeria has gone past the days of living in denial to a time when we must ensure that the uses and application of surveillance technologies are responsible. In 2019, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued the Lawful Interception of Communication Regulations.
The regulation requires that there must be court warrants for interception to happen but failed to create an effective system of accountability around these processes. The incoming administration should ensure an effective accountability model for surveillance practices in Nigeria through judicial and public accountability. This is to ensure that the right to privacy as guaranteed for every Nigerian by the Constitution is preserved and to ensure that law enforcement agencies respect the rule of law in the discharge of their duties. The current model defers to the Attorney General of the Federation, a partisan member of the cabinet.
The Freedom Online Coalition recently published a useful resource that may prove useful. The Guiding Principles on Government Use of Surveillance Technologies aims to prevent or mitigate the use of Internet controls to suppress human rights and fundamental freedoms and unjustly limit access to information, the pairing of advanced video surveillance with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools to persistently identify and monitor people without an appropriate legal basis, and other discriminatory uses targeted at perceived government opponents as a means to enforce social and political control.
• The Code of Practice For Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries is another example of regulatory effort without stakeholder buy-in. The challenge with this code is its attempt to regulate digital platforms in an overly simplistic manner. This comes with risk to digital rights of Nigerians. Regulating digital platforms is a tough task and even the most developed nations are still grappling with figuring things out. The European Union recently passed the Digital Services Act (DSA) which includes rules for online intermediary services, highlighting the responsibilities of users, platforms, and public authorities.
The Act places citizens at the centre and it better protects consumers and their fundamental rights online, establishing a powerful transparency and a clear accountability framework for online platforms. Also the Act ensures for citizens, a better protection of fundamental rights, gives them more choices, lower prices and ensures they are less exposed to illegal content. The Act also creates legal certainty, harmonisation of rules for providers of digital services.
The Act doesn’t come into force until February 2024 despite the richness of expertise and stakeholder consultations that went into drafting and enacting it. Meanwhile the Code of Practice was conceived, drafted and adopted in a very limited context, limited consultation and timeframe. Nigeria can draw inspiration from the DSA. I wouldn’t recommend a copy and paste approach but I strongly recommend that the new administration undertake a study of this legislation and explore its applicability to the Nigerian context. Beside the DSA, the office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology is leading on a global digital compact to ‘outline shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.’
This will establish agreed principles for digital governance that support human rights, social justice and sustainable development and that can form the basis of a longer-term framework for accountable and inclusive digital governance.This process is rich and benefitting from quality stakeholder inputs, with multiple multilateral organisations, leading nations in the world, academics, civil society and others making meaningful contribution to the process. These examples are a good guide and can help the thinking of the new government in approaching digital governance in Nigeria.
4. Institutional Capacity Building: The government should invest in building the capacity of relevant institutions responsible for enforcing digital rights such as the National Human Rights Commission and the Judiciary. They must be empowered to address digital rights issues. Adequate resources, training programs, and technical expertise should be provided to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of digital rights by the commission.
5. Join the Freedom Online Coalition. The Freedom Online Coalition is a group of countries deeply committed to the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group believes that the human rights that people have offline must also be protected online. It also commits to working together, and with all others who share these views, to support Internet freedom and protect human rights online worldwide. In the past administration, Nigeria was invited to join the coalition by the government of Finland, one of the previous chairs of the coalition, but the Buhari Administration refused. It must be said that many would argue that Nigeria does not possess the value to be a worthy member of such a coalition. However, the perceived value of Nigeria is also directly linked to the kind of standard it holds itself accountable to. My argument for proposing that Nigeria joins this coalition is premised on this point. The coalition is strategic and useful for peer learning and provides access to an unbelievable amount of resources on digital rights protection.
By adopting these measures, the new government in Nigeria can play a crucial role in promoting and protecting digital rights, thereby enabling its citizens to enjoy the benefits of the digital age while upholding fundamental human rights.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against Umar Bago, Niger State Governor, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as “the ongoing intimidation” of Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, and the threat to shut down the station.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, accusing NBC of failing to stand in defence of the local station.
PUNCH Online had reported that Bago ordered the closure and the revocation of the licence of Badeggi Radio 90.1 FM in Minna over alleged public incitement.
However, in suit number FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE are seeking to determine “whether by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”
They are also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Niger state governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence and profile the station’s owner.”
The groups argued, “The ongoing intimidation and threat by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its licence, further threat to demolish the station’s premises and profile its owner is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.”
They described allegations of inciting violence against the station and its owner as “vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station.”
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP and NGE by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Agunbiade, and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and information – in its individual and collective aspects – in a democratic society.
“Intimidating, harassing and silencing critical or dissenting voices under the guise of vague and unsubstantiated national security concerns is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
“The ongoing intimidation and harassment of Badeggi FM and its owner is capable of discouraging participation of the press in debates over matters of legitimate public concern ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
SERAP and NGE are therefore asking the court for the following reliefs, “A declaration that by the combined provisions of Section 22 Nigerian Constitution and section 2(1)(t) of the National Broadcasting Act, the NBC is obligated by law to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from undue interference from unauthorised persons or entity.
“A declaration that the failure and/or neglect of the NBC to protect and defend the independence of the radio station against arbitrary executive interference constitutes a breach of its statutory duty to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.
“A declaration that the ongoing intimidation and threat issued by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its operational licence and further threat to demolish the station’s premises is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.
“A declaration that the threat issued by the Bago to strip Badeggi FM radio station of its operational licence encroaches upon the statutory powers of the NBC as provided for under section 2 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC, its agents and privies from harassing, intimidating and/or threatening to revoke the operating licence of Badeggi FM station or any other broadcasting outlet in Niger State.”
It was said that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Spotify has named Ghanaian trailblazer Amaarae as the EQUAL Africa artist for August, spotlighting her as one of the continent’s artists who continues to push creative and cultural boundaries with every beat, lyric, and look.
Amaarae, born Ama Serwah Genfi, raised between Ghana and the U.S.A often pulls her musical inspiration from the cultures and genres she grew up with. She has consistently pushed the boundaries of sound and identity, with her unique fusion of alternative, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats cementing her place as a singular voice in modern music.
Her musical journey took a turn in a computer lab in Ghana in 2009, where she taught herself to make beats on a cracked version of FL Studio. That moment sparked the fire for a career that would go on to produce game-changing projects like “The Angel You Don’t Know” and global hits such as “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY”.
Amaarae’s inclusion on Spotify’s Global Impact List for the first half of the year, highlighting the most-exported Ghanaian songs, was no surprise. She has become a symbol of how African music is travelling further, faster, and louder than ever before.
With her latest album BLACK STAR she returns to her Ghanaian roots with bold energy, crafting what she calls a “rallying cry for youth culture around the world. This album is bringing the alternative community to the forefront and being fearless about that.”
“I navigate the music world with balance, willpower, and strength. The challenges are real, don’t get me wrong, but I put my blinders on, lock into tunnel vision, and get to work. And when I come across another woman on the journey, especially a Black woman, I do my best to share knowledge, create opportunities, and lighten the load where I can,” says Amaarae.
As part of Spotify’s EQUAL programme, which amplifies women’s voices worldwide, Amaarae joins a growing list of African women shaping the future through sound and self-expression.
“Amaarae embodies the spirit of boundary-pushing creativity that EQUAL stands for,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Her artistry is bold, distinct, and unapologetically authentic – qualities that continue to inspire a new generation of artists across the continent and beyond.”
We sat down with Amaarae to learn more about her and her music:
1. What is that one surprising thing your fans might not know about you?
Amaarae: I’m one step away from being legally blind! My vision is a -7 and I have astigmatism!!
2. When did you realise that making music was in your destiny and what is your WHY for pursuing this craft?
Amaarae: When I moved back home to Ghana in 2009, I was learning how to make beats and record myself at the back of the computer lab. Someone had installed a cracked version of FL.
3. Which African songs or artists did you grow up listening to?
Amaarae: The list goes on and on. Daddy LUMBA (RIP), Terri Bonchaka, MzBel, Abrewa Nana, Obrafour’s legendary album Pae Mu Ka, Sarkodie, Kwadwo Antwi. I could go all day.
4. To someone who has never heard your music, how would you describe the sound, tone, and style?
Amaarae: Let’s encourage listeners to be curious and adventurous! If you’re reading this and you’ve never heard my music, I dare you to go listen! And tell me how YOU would describe my sound.
5. Any advice for someone dreading following their dreams?
Amaarae: The regret does more damage than the effort.
By Ursula Fear, Senior Talent Programme Manager | Salesforce
Is AI coming for your job, or is it already working beside you? As its use becomes more routine, artificial intelligence is looking less like a threat and more like a teammate: answering queries, making decisions, chasing leads, processing invoices, and drafting content around the clock.
Ursula Fear, Senior Talent Program Manager, Salesforce
This new class of digital labour is changing how teams function, how targets are met, and how people spend their time at work. From now on, almost every job, team, and company will involve AI agents – systems that can analyse vast datasets, apply human-like reasoning, and act independently. Their presence is set to influence workflows, increase productivity, support innovation, and redefine roles across the organisation.
Rather than replacing people, AI is tilting the workload. Salesforce research shows that 23% of HR teams plan to redeploy employees into roles that make better use of their uniquely human strengths. At the same time, agentic AI adoption is projected to surge by 327% over the next two years (from roughly 15% adoption today to about 64% by 2027).
This shift is tied to anticipated productivity gains of 30% per employee and labour cost reductions of 19%, equating to about $11,000 in savings per employee annually, based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) wage averages. Rather than replacing people, organisations are preparing to reskill and redeploy workers, enabling humans to focus on higher-value roles that emphasise creativity, strategy, and interpersonal skills.
A recent Gartner poll further found that 95% of customer service teams intend to retain human agents to help define and guide the role of AI, reinforcing the value of a “digital first, not digital only” approach. Gartner further says that by 2027, half of the organisations that planned to significantly reduce their customer service workforce will abandon those plans, highlighting the limits of going fully “agentless”.
For African countries, the rise of digital labour presents an opportunity to build modern, inclusive workforces without being bound by outdated development models. But realising this potential depends on sustained investment in skills training, digital infrastructure, and equitable access to AI tools.
Train for tomorrow
Africa has the world’s youngest population. It’s bursting with entrepreneurial energy. But many young people still don’t have access to the tools and skills that will define the next era of work. If the continent wants to lead in the digital labour revolution, it should act now by investing in digital infrastructure, prioritising skills development, and forging partnerships that make future-focused training widely accessible.
Yes, the skills gap is real and broadband internet is still a luxury in many communities. But on the upside, AI training doesn’t require a university degree. Much of it is free, online, and accessible to anyone with a smartphone and a curious mind.
That opens the door to governments, educators, businesses, and civil society to step up to update school curricula, expand digital infrastructure, and support public-private training partnerships. All of this matters: not just for economic growth, but for social inclusion, too.
If these foundations are put in place, African countries could not only meet the needs of their growing population but also leapfrog outdated development models.
From entry-level to in-demand
When AI begins to handle the simpler tasks, it’s easy to worry about what’s left for those starting out. Entry-level jobs aren’t disappearing though. Instead of doing routine work, newcomers will now need to build skills in oversight, collaboration, and using AI tools effectively from day one. The ladder still exists; it just starts in a different place.
This will require a different kind of training – not just technical know-how, but in soft skills like empathy, adaptability, ethical judgement, and communication, which are all human traits that help teams thrive.
AI’s presence in the workplace may be concerning, with reports of job cuts due to its adoption (here, here, here, and here), but all is not as it seems.
Research suggests a more balanced perspective: One of the most comprehensive studies, from the National Bureau of Economic Research, tracked 25,000 workers across 7,000 Danish firms using AI chatbots. It found no significant changes to jobs, wages, or working hours. Productivity rose by around 3%, without leading to layoffs.
The St. Louis Fed found something similar. Based on large-scale surveys in the US, researchers reported one in four workers now use generative AI weekly, saving on average just over two hours a week. Spread across the entire labour market, that translated into a 1.1% productivity gain. Crucially, there was no sign this efficiency came at the cost of jobs.
Adding to this, a 2024 study by Mäkelä and Stephany analysed over 12 million US job listings and revealed that demand is surging for “AI-complementary” skills such as resilience, teamwork, digital literacy, and analytical thinking. These are the very human capabilities that help people work effectively with AI. The study found AI-focused roles are nearly twice as likely to list these skills, and they command wage premiums of 5–10%. Even more telling: the positive impact of these complementary skills outweighs the substitution effects of AI by up to 70%.
These findings all suggest that AI isn’t replacing workers; it’s helping them work smarter and more efficiently. To thrive in this blended future, we need to prepare today, by building the right skills, expanding access, and embracing AI not as a threat, but as a partner in progress.
Because the future of work won’t be entirely human, nor entirely automated – it will be a blend of both.
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