A Whitepaper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria has been released, according to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
According to a press release signed by the Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations
NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, this pivotal document was developed in collaboration with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), an Africa-focused non-profit dedicated to advancing digital innovation and inclusive policy development.
The whitepaper was created as part of a team effort to address Nigeria’s growing problem of internet damage. It expands on the main points and conversations from API’s first-ever Content Moderation and Online Safety Summit in Nigeria, which took place in July 2022
The whitepaper provides context on the prevalence of online harms and the need for action, highlighting the government’s effort through various agencies to propose solutions to protect citizens and children online. It also provides rich resources on relevant conceptual ideas critical to the debate on approaches for regulatory action to combat online harms.
The statement read, “The paper further analyses efforts from other jurisdictions and proffers a range of ideas that can be considered for developing a framework in Nigeria.
“The whitepaper will serve as a foundation for stakeholder engagement and developing a comprehensive, collaborative framework for a bill to protect Nigerians as we navigate online and interactive content.
“The whitepaper is not intended to be a final document to define the contours of online harm in Nigeria. Instead, it will be the basis for engagement with other relevant regulators, the security sector, civil society organisations, local and international internet platforms, businesses and the wider public.
“Therefore, the whitepaper does not present the sole opinions of NITDA but rather aggregated ideas based on research to guide regulatory options for meaningful engagement around online harms.
“By releasing this whitepaper, NITDA and API aim to spark a national conversation on online harms and contribute to the development of a comprehensive legal framework that protects Nigerian citizens while fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem.
“We urge stakeholders to read this paper thoughtfully and respond with comments, questions and suggestions to theOHPwhitepaper.secretariat@apiintelligence.org with all tips and recommendations. The secretariat will collate these responses and present them to the stakeholder groups for subsequent engagement before developing a relevant Bill.
“The Agency thanked the steering team members, drawn mainly from Nigeria’s civil society, who participated in developing the whitepaper, and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) representatives for their efforts as steering team members. We also thank the project’s secretariat for their dedication and hard work in compiling the research to produce the whitepaper. We look forward to future engagements and conversations as we improve Nigeria’s digital economy and create a safe space for all to use the Internet as a shared resource.
Please download or read the Whitepaper via this link: https://links.nitda.gov.ng/ohpb
